Naruto: The First Step
by MidatoUchiha
Summary: This is the first installment of my remake of the Naruto series. Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten more tolerable. M for language, violence, sexual scene/s, and themes. NaruSaku
1. Chapter 1

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 1

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

Hello, guys! This is one of my works from Wattpad and I decided to publish it here. I decided to make some changes so it'll look different from the Wattpad version. Please review; let me know what you think so that I can improve my writing skills and so that I can provide you guys with better works. Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

"Come on! Push! I can already see the head! A little more! You can do it!" these were encouraging words from a doctor to a woman.

The doctor had blond hair and blue eyes.

The woman, in response, pushed with the last bit of her strength. Her head fell back on the pillow as she heard a baby's wails and smiled at her triumph. The doctor held the bloody baby and examined his face.

"It's a boy," the doctor explained.

The woman peered over her outstretched legs and saw her baby. She smiled while panting. The woman had unusual red hair and ocean blue eyes. The doctor cut the umbilical cord and wiped off the blood from the boy. She wrapped him in a white cloth after. She handed him to his mother.

"Here he is, Kushina. Congratulations," the doctor said.

Kushina smiled.

"Thank you, Mebuki," she gratefully said.

Mebuki returned the smile with an affectionate one.

"I'll go get Minato. I'm sure he's dying to know that boy of his looks just like him," Mebuki giggled.

Kushina chuckled. Mebuki went out the door.

The Hokage was pacing back and forth outside a room, crossing his arms. His wife was inside, giving birth. He just arrived from home a few minutes earlier to find out his wife isn't home. One of their neighbors informed him that his wife was in the hospital. He teleported to the hospital just as his wife was just entering the room.

Now here he was, nervous and excited at the same time; nervous because something bad might happen to his beloved wife; excited because he was dying to know if his child will be a boy or a girl. If a boy, will the baby look like him? If a girl, will the baby look like his mother?

Just then, Mebuki, his wife's best friend, got out of the room. He approached her.

"How is she?" he frantically asked.

"Don't worry, Minato. She's fine. She's just tired," Mebuki explained.

Minato breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can I see her?" he asked.

"Of course. After all, you're the father and the Hokage," she giggled.

Minato chuckled and rubbed his head.

"Oh... yeah, right. I keep forgetting that," he admitted.

Mebuki sweatdropped at his ability to forget.

"Seriously?" she said, rubbing her forehead.

Minato smiled shyly.

"Anyways, I gotta run. Congratulations," Mebuki said then shook Minato's hand.

"Thanks," he said.

Mebuki smiled then went away. Minato reached for the door knob with shaky hands. He opened slowly and peered inside. He saw his wife, sweating with a small bundle beside her. He approached his family quietly. Kushina had her eyes closed but she felt his presence.

She opened her eyes and smiled at her husband.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey. How are you?" he replied.

"I feel so tired and hurt but, otherwise, okay."

Minato looked at the boy's face. He noticed an unusual addition on his face.

"Whiskers," he murmured.

"Yeah. He looks like you, ya know?" Kushina replied.

Minato smiled and leaned down to kiss the baby's forehead. Kushina gestured for him to take the baby. Minato did. He examined his son's face some more. The boy had blond hair like him.

"What should we name him?" Minato asked.

Kushina thought for a while.

"How about..." She started.

Minato waited for her to finish her sentence and continues to coo at the child.

"Naruto," she finished.

In the dark of night, screams of people can be heard everywhere in Konohagakure no Sato. The screams were ear piercing the Hokage woke up to investigate what was happening.

He looked out the balcony and saw a gigantic fox with 9 tails which happened to be the cause of all the screams. He looked down to see people running away from the beast. He noticed the beast to have the Sharingan, the bloodline of a famous clan in his village. Being the Hokage, he changed from his pajamas to his usual blue jumpsuit and vest. He opened the cabinet on the corner of the room and took out his Hokage cloak then put it on. He pays no attention to the waking figure in his bed as he roamed around the room to equip himself with his usual gear, his holsters and his special kunai.

"Minato?" a woman's voice called out.

"The Kyuubi is on the loose. I have to go. Take care of Naruto and stay in here," he said.

The woman nodded. He walked over to the woman.

"Take care, Kushina. I love you," he said as his forehead touched hers.

"I love you, too. Be careful out there," she said.

"I will."

They kissed briefly. Minato rushes out of his mansion and was joined by his ANBU.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We don't know, Hokage-sama. But we found out a while ago from one of the witnesses about a masked man who seems to be controlling the Kyuubi," one of the ANBU explained.

"Where is he?"

"We saw him on top of the one of the Hokage heads. He's doing absolutely nothing except for watching."

Minato sighed. Just then, a familiar ANBU, appeared beside him. The ANBU tilted his mask to the upper side of his head to reveal a handsome man with black hair.

"What took you so long, Fugaku?" Minato teased.

"I had to help around. How about you? Where have you been?" his friend snapped back.

"Hey, I was sleeping, alright? Now come on."

Fugaku smirked. Minato shook his head.

Fugaku was Minato's close friend when they were still in the academy. Minato, Fugaku, and another boy met one the first day of school and they became instant friends. The other boy was from the Haruno clan. Minato, Fugaku, and the Haruno boy became genins together but only Minato and Fugaku upgraded to chuunins. Now, Fugaku was the highest officer of the ANBU while Minato is the Hokage while their other friend is currently a merchant so they haven't heard from him ever since.

"I'll take care of the masked man while you and the others restrain the Kyuubi," Minato ordered.

Fugaku sighs. "I wish Kizashi was here," Fugaku states.

Minato sighs as well. "Me, too. I wish the 3 of us were fighting together like the old days," Minato said.

"Yup. Just like the old days. Back when it was still easy. Only taking C or D rank missions and while on breaks, always training," Fugaku agrees.

"Well... better get going. Don't want our wives to get out here and scold us. We'll talk later," Minato jokes.

Fugaku chuckles.

"Right. Take care, Minato," Fugaku says then both went their separate ways.

Minato rushes to where the masked man sat while Fugaku rushes after his ANBU forces and begins to shout orders at them.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 2

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

Please read and review! Thanks!

* * *

Minato teleports in front of the masked man with a Rasengan, his created jutsu, and his special kunai on the other hand. He held back his elbow to shove the Rasengan to the masked man's face when the guy held his hand which held the Rasengan. Minato thrusts the kunai deep inside the man's hand. The man winced in pain but showed no sign of weakness. Minato drew out the kunai and was about to hit him again when the man jumped back. Minato followed and stood a few meters away from the man.

Minato glared at the man who attacked his village. Through a little hole on his right eye, he can see the Sharingan. There wasn't a hole on his left so Minato wasn't sure if he really is an Uchiha or he just stole the eye. If he did, whom did he kill to have such power?

"Who are you?" Minato demanded.

The man hesitated for a second.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," the man said.

Minato snarled.

"Try me," he said with a menacing smirk.

The man took a few seconds to respond.

"Uchiha Madara," the man said.

The man was right. Minato doesn't believe him.

"Are you the real Madara or someone who is just a Madara wanna-be?" Minato asked.

"Well, you can choose to believe or not but I am the real Madara," the man said.

Minato collected chakra in his hand again and charged towards Madara. Madara took out a chakra rod and charged towards Minato. Both attacks collided, making the chakra rod snap and break which made the Rasengan have the upper hand. The Rasengan did hit Madara and it sent him flying towards the 's back collided with a tree and he sat. He wiped the trickle of blood from his lips. He saw Minato charging towards him again with the Rasengan. He stood up and this time, he dodged and sent a blow to Minato's gut making him spit blood.

"I hear the Rasengan is your creation," Madara said.

Minato stood up and held his left arm.

"What about it?" Minato scoffs.

"Tell me how it works," Madara demands.

Minato smirked tauntingly.

"Not a chance," he said.

Madara punched him again. This time, with more power and force which sent Minato was sent flying to their original places. He dropped to the ground and winced. Madara approached him slowly.

Minato did another Rasengan and charged towards Madara. Madara, in return, prepared to block it but to no use. He was met by a Rasengan to the gut which made him vomit a little blood. He was then sent flying to the trees again.

Minato approached him dramatically. Madara was wiping blood from his lower lip while Minato neared him. But he won't go down again without a fight.

He jumped up and performed hand signs of a common jutsu from the Uchiha clan.

"Katon Gokakyou no Jutsu!" he exclaimed before fire came out of his mouth.

A huge fireball came out and went towards Minato. Minato saw the fire coming and tumbled to the ground. But Madara wasn't done yet. He rushed towards Minato with a chakra rod in his right hand. His right arm held back while his left was about to grab his opponent's cloak.

But since Minato isn't called _Yellow Flash_ for nothing, he disappeared for a sec then reappeared behind Madara. He sent his special kunai deep in the back of his enemy. Madara shrieked in pain.

But before Minato could land the finishing blow, Madara disappeared. Minato looked around but saw no trace of him. He groaned.

"Damn it!" he shouts.

Kushina held baby Naruto in her arms while looking out the balcony of their house.

 _'I hope your father is okay,'_ she thought while looking at Naruto.

Out of nowhere, Madara appeared behind her. She sensed his chakra and turned around.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile with Minato**_

 _'Where could he have gone?'_ he thought.

Fugaku appeared beside him. "Where is the masked man?" Fugaku asked.

"Gone," Minato answered.

"Have you found out who he is?"

"He claims to be Madara."

"That's impossible! Madara is our ancestor! How could he have lived to this very day?!"

"I am not sure if he is the real Madara or not but one thing's for sure..."

"What's that?"

"He's dangerous."

Just then, an explosion was heard. Fugaku activated his Sharingan and found the area of the explosion.

"It seems to be near your house, Minato," Fugaku informed.

"Kushina! Naruto!" Minato said then disappears in a flash.

He reappears in the area of the explosion where a crater was found. He looks behind him where Kushina is kneeling with their baby in her arms. He ran towards them and embraced his family.

"Kushina, are you alright?!" Minato frantically asks.

"Yeah... I'm fine," she said.

"What happened?"

"A masked man appeared behind me while I was out in the balcony. Luckily, I already had Naruto in my arms so I jumped out. He threw a kunai with a tag on it but we weren't hit."

Minato's eyes widened.

 _'If he thinks he can get away after almost killing my family, then he's got another thing coming!'_ Minato thought angrily.

"Where is he?!" Minato demanded.

"I don't know. He was gone when you came," Kushina replied.

Minato looked over his shoulder where the Kyuubi is. The Bijuu was swaying its tails and growling. Minato stood up and turned around.

"Kushina, stay put here. I'll take care of the Kyuubi," Minato says.

Fugaku was running towards Minato. "What happened?! Are they fine?" Fugaku asks.

"He attacked Kushina and Naruto. Fugaku, stay here with them," Minato angrily says. He then ran towards the Kyuubi.

"Minato!" Kushina shouts. She runs after him.

"Kushina, wait!" Fugaku shouts and runs after her.

Kushina stops after a few meters from Minato. Just then, chakra bound chains appeared from her back and into the ground. From the ground, the chains fly towards the Kyuubi and bind him. Minato notices and sees Kushina panting while trying to control the chains.

"Kushina!" he calls.

Kushina drops to the ground while Minato rushes towards her.

* * *

 _ **30 minutes later**_

Minato and Kushina manage to take the Kyuubi a little away from the village and now they are in a glade in the middle of the forest. Minato stands in front of Kushina who is kneeling with Naruto still in her arms.

Kushina pants due to chakra exhaustion. Minato looks back at her with worry. He then looks at the Kyuubi again who is growling.

"Minato, what are we going to do?" Kushina pants.

Minato thinks for a while.

 _'I've got to stop him. But how?!'_ Minato thinks. Then his face lightens up a little though his eyes held a little sadness.

"I got it!" Minato says.

"What?" Kushina asks.

"I have to seal him."

Kushina's eyes widen at his words.


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 3

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

 _ **6 years later**_

A kid was walking in the streets of Konoha and looking around. He had ocean blue eyes and blond spiky hair. He oddly resembled the Yondaime Hokage except for the whisker marks on his cheeks.

A few minutes later, people started surrounding him. He stopped in his tracks and looked around. People were murmuring amongst themselves.

"It's that kid again," he heard one of them said.

"Why is he still here? He doesn't belong here," another said.

"That demon doesn't belong here," another said and so on and so forth.

He hung his head low and clenched his fist tightly. He was just a kid, lonely and confused. _'Why do they hate me so much?'_ he thought.

People glare at him but he doesn't take notice even though it hurt him.

"This is a waste of time," one said and went his way.

Other people agreed and they too, began to walk away. One woman, a blond, who was holding the hand of her 5 year old pinkette daughter, looked at the boy pitifully.

"Let's go, Sakura," she said softly to her daughter.

"Who is he, mommy?" little Sakura asked.

"Nobody, dear. Now let's go," she said then walked away. Though it hurt to say that, she didn't want to tell her daughter about what transpired six years ago. She was still far too young to know about the horrors of that fateful night. She felt regret at not being able to care for the boy but just like any of the villagers, she was afraid that the demon might one day come out. She thought it was stupid of her to think that but even if she did make a move to take the boy under her wing, her husband forbid them from even approaching the boy. He was bitter about the whole event and wanted nothing to do with the demon that took his life of his once best friends.

Sakura took one last glance at the kid and obediently went with her mother.

The kid saw everyone leave so he left too. He went in front of the academy where kids learn to be shinobis. He sat at the swing of a tree and sighed. He stared at the sky for a while and closed his eyes to the relaxing wind. At times like this, he needed to relax and collect his thoughts. A million questions went through his mind. Did he have parents? If so, where are they? Did they love him? Then why was he alone in this world? Did he have relatives? Where are they too? Did they love him? Why do the villagers hate him? Was it something that his parents did?

He didn't know. All he knew was that he was alone with no one to care for him. Some life, huh?

He opened his eyes to stare at the academy. Then he made a decision that will change his life forever. He stood up and pointed his right thumb at himself.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto and I will be a shinobi! Believe it!" he proudly acclaimed.

People nearby scoffed at him.

"Him, a shinobi?" they said.

A group of kids nearby heard him and decided to make fun of him.

"Let's teach him a lesson, guys," their leader, a blue haired kid said.

"Good idea, Tadashi," one, a brown haired kid said and smirked.

"How will we do that, Tadashi?" a black haired kid asked.

"You're so slow, Akiro. Easy, we'll beat him to the pulp.", Tadashi said.

"He's leaving, Tadashi," the brown haired kid informed.

"Let's keep our distance, Kyouji," Tadashi ordered.

"Okay, okay!" Kyouji said impatiently.

They followed him to an abandoned alley afterwards. Naruto didn't notice them, though. He just turned to the abandoned alley without thinking as he was in a hurry. Then he realizes there is a dead end. He turns around to go back but 3 boys stood in his way and blocked his exit.

"Who are you?" he shakily asked.

The boys smirked evilly.

The three boys started closing in on him. He did a fighting stance and prepared himself. He knew little about fights but not as little as knowing how to defend himself.

"You think you can beat us, kid?" Tadashi mocked.

"It won't hurt to try," Naruto said.

Tadashi rushed towards him and began to deliver a blow to Naruto's face but Naruto dodged. Next, Kyouji landed a sharp blow to his gut, making Naruto spit blood. Then Akiro landed a punch on Naruto's face. The boys simultaneously attacked him, making Naruto fall to the ground. He was bleeding and bruised badly. But they didn't stop beating him even though he was already down. And if that wasn't enough, they began to shout out insults at him.

"You don't stand a chance against us. Stay still and we'll beat the demon out of you!" Kyouji sneered.

"Hey!" a voice behind them shouted.

The boys watched behind them to see who it was.

"Stop that right now or I'll call the Jounins!" a little pinkette threatened.

The boys ran away as they don't want to be discovered. The pinkette watched where the boys went to make sure they don't come back. When the coast was clear, she ran towards the bleeding Naruto who was slowly healing. She kneeled beside him.

"Hey. Are you okay?" she sweetly asked.

Naruto managed to sit up and wipe the blood off his mouth. He looked down embarrassingly.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for helping," he sniffed.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto introduced.

"My name is Haruno Sakura," she introduced with a smile.

He looked up to see who his savior was. Once he did, his heart melted. The girl had emerald green eyes and short pink hair. He thought he just saw an angel.

"Pretty..."Naruto thought aloud.

Sakura giggled. Naruto blushed as he realized what he did and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Thank you," she said.

Naruto began to stand up but he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and was about to collapse if it weren't for Sakura who caught his fall.

"Careful," she said.

Dark clouds began to cover the sky which signaled rain coming.

"I better go home. It's getting dark already," Naruto informed.

"Let's get you to a hospital first," she said.

"I'm okay. I just need to go home now," he said.

Sakura hesitantly let him go.

"Naruto, will you be my friend?" she asked while blushing.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" she said.

"Well... the villagers think I'm dangerous and I shouldn't have existed," he sadly said.

"That's mean! A cute boy like you isn't dangerous!" she argued.

Naruto blushed.

"Let's meet at the swing in front of the academy tomorrow," Sakura said.

"Okay," he replied.

Sakura kissed his cheek before letting him go which made him blush madly.

"See you tomorrow, Naruto-kun!" she said before trotting away.

Naruto stood in his place while clutching his painful stomach. He can't believe a girl just kissed him. He touched his right cheek where she kissed him. Realizing the rain is about to fall, he ran towards the comfort of his home which was in an apartment.

And so goes his day where he met his first friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 4

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto woke up early that morning and took a bath. He then ate his breakfast hurriedly and brushed his teeth afterwards. He was excited to see Sakura again since she was his first friend. But he needed to go to the Hokage first. He ran towards to the Hokage tower where the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in, early in the morning. Naruto knocked softly at the door, receiving a "Come in!"

He entered shyly. He saw the Hokage doing his daily paperwork and sipping his morning coffee.

"Oh. Naruto, what brings you here?" the old Hokage asked while putting down his mug of coffee.

Naruto shyly approached the Hokage.

"How was your day yesterday?" the Hokage asked.

"It's fine, just the usual 'you-don't-belong-here' kind of drama. But I got my first friend and her name is Sakura," he softly said, his face downcast.

"The Haruno girl, eh?" the Hokage said while looking at the papers.

He noticed Naruto being silent. He looked at him from the papers and saw the boy's sad expression.

"Was she mean?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"No! She isn't.", Naruto said, almost instantly while shaking his head and waving his hands frantically. "It's not that."

"Then what's the matter? Speak up, child."

Naruto sighed.

"Why don't I have any parents?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen's eyes widened.

"What do you know about them?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen sighed. _'What will I tell him?'_ he thought.

"Well..." he started, "your parents are from the Uzumaki clan and not much of their history was known. All I know that your mother died giving birth to you."

Naruto sadly looked down.

"What about my dad?" Naruto asked.

"He died the night the Kyuubi attacked," Hiruzen said.

He felt guilty not telling the truth to a child but what could he do? Sure, he wasn't exactly a lie but it wasn't the truth, either. He was the Hokage but even these things troubled him. He had to lie for the child's safety. Rather, the village's safety.

Naruto nodded.

"Okay. I'll go now. Have a good day, Sarutobi-sama," Naruto said solemnly then left.

Hiruzen sighed again. He stood up and looked out the window of his room.

 _'I'm sorry for lying to your son, Minato. But I did that to protect him like Kushina made me promise,'_ he thought while looking at Minato's face on the mountain.

He sighed inwardly as he thought of the memory of that dreadful night.

 _ **Flashback 6 years ago**_

 _The retired Sandaime Hokage was woken up by screams of people from outside his estate. He immediately wore his gear and rushes out of the estate._

 _He approached a woman who was running by._

 _"Miss!" he called out._

 _The woman looked where she heard the voice. Once she noticed the Sandaime Hokage calling her, she told him what happened._

 _"The Yondaime Hokage and the Lady Kushina is fighting off the Kyuubi far from this area!" she informed then continued running._

 _In a second, an ANBU officer appeared beside him. He immediately noticed who the ANBU was._

 _"Where's Minato and Kushina, Fugaku?" he asked._

 _Fugaku asked him to follow as he was jumping from roof to roof to reach where Minato and Kushina was. When they reached the area, their hearts broke at the sight._ _Minato lay dead on the ground while Kushina was dying. He saw baby Naruto on a ritual altar, wailing. He rushed to the baby and took him in his arms. He tried to calm him down which worked all too well._

 _He then kneeled beside Kushina._

 _"Kushina..." he started but was cut off._

 _"Please take care of Naruto," she said._

 _Hiruzen nodded sympathetically. Kushina smiled then died. He stood up and turned to Fugaku._

 _"Not a word of this to anyone, Fugaku. That is an order," he seriously said._

 _Fugaku nodded._

 _ **End of Flashback**_

* * *

Naruto walked slowly towards the academy towards the swing where he and Sakura are supposed to meet. He looked down at the ground while he walked.

Once he arrived at the place, he looked up. Sakura wasn't there yet. He sat at the swing. He stared at the faces of the previous Hokage, including his favorite Hokage, the Yondaime. He once again made a new decision.

"I'll be Hokage..." he whispered then smiled.

He stood up.

"I, Uzumaki Naruto, will not only be a shinobi, but a Hokage as well!" he proudly acclaimed for the villagers to hear.

"Really?" a familiar voice asked.

He turned to the right where he heard the voice come from. He saw his first friend with 3 other kids.

"You want to be Hokage?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah! And the villagers will finally acknowledge me!" he proudly said.

A platinum blond girl looked curiously at Naruto.

"Hey... aren't you the kid the villagers want us to avoid?" the platinum blond asked.

Naruto's head bowed slightly.

"Ino!" Sakura scolded.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm used to it anyway," Naruto reassured them.

"Troublesome girl," a black pineapple like haired boy muttered.

"You think everything is troublesome, Shikamaru!" the platinum blond pouted.

The third kid doesn't seem to care as he is munching on a bag of chips. He had spirals on either side of his face and he also had brown spiky hair and he was fat.

"Hey, Naruto. You don't mind me bringing them along, do you?" Sakura asked.

"No, no! It's fine," Naruto said then flashed a smile.

Sakura smiled back.

"Anyways, Naruto, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Ino," she pointed to the platinum blond girl.

"Hi," Ino said.

"This is Shikamaru," she pointed to the black haired boy.

"Troublesome," the boy murmured.

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"And this is Choji," she pointed to the kid eating chips.

"You want some?" the kid offered, holding out the bag of chips.

"Nah, I'm good," Naruto said.

"Suit yourself," Choji shrugged.

"Guys, this is Naruto," Sakura introduced Naruto.

"Hey," Naruto said and flashed a toothy smile.

"Do you guys wanna play?" Ino enthusiastically asked.

"Hell, yeah!" Naruto said.

"Okay!" Sakura agreed.

"Fine," Shikamaru muttered.

"I'm in!" Choji agreed as well.

"Alright! What do you wanna play?" Ino said.

"How 'bout hide and seek?" Sakura suggested.

"Good idea, Sakura-chan!" Naruto agreed.

"You're it, Sakura!" Ino said.

"Okay..." Sakura said.

She placed her arms in a cross position on the tree and in front of her face and began counting 1-10 while the other began running around, looking for a place to hide. Naruto climbed on top of the tree and hid behind some leaves. Ino hid under a log nearby. Choji and Shikamaru hid behind 2 trees nearby, opposite each other.

"10!" as soon as Sakura finished, she turned around.

She first went to the log where Ino was. And indeed, Ino was found.

"You're it, Ino!" Sakura exclaimed, smiling.

"No fair! You cheated!" Ino pouted.

"Did not!" Sakura defended.

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Sakura-chan, Ino, don't fight!" Naruto called from the tree.

"Wow, Naruto! How did you get up there?!" Sakura exclaimed.

Naruto chuckled embarrassingly.

"How 'bout let's play another game?" Choji suggested.

"Tag, you're it!" Sakura said as she tagged Ino.

"Hey! No fair!" she complained while chasing around Sakura.

Choji and Shikamaru were already running away. Naruto jumped down the tree to play along with them.

So goes his second day of meeting friends.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 5

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto went home late that night, tired but happy. They had agreed to meet at the park tomorrow and play again. Naruto changed into his PJ's and collapsed in his bed. He fell asleep as soon as his face hit his pillow. This was the first time he felt happy in 6 years of his life. Most of it was made a living hell by the villagers. It was his first good night sleep with a real smile on his face.

The next morning, he woke up early and took a bath. He then ate his daily breakfast of cereal then brushed his teeth and made himself look clean. He rushed out his apartment to go to the park. On the way, he passed by the lake where he saw a kid with black hair and looked like a duck's butt. He looked curiously at the boy. The boy sat on the edge of the dock. Once the boy noticed him, Naruto walked towards him.

"Hey," Naruto greeted.

The boy merely grunted in response.

"I'm Naruto. What's your name?" Naruto introduced.

"My name is Sasuke, the last survivor of the Uchiha clan. My whole family was murdered by my brother," Sasuke sulked.

"Ohh... bummer."

"Whatever."

"You want to play with me?"

Sasuke looked at him, unsure. "Why are you inviting me to play with you? How are you even talking to me? No one has approached me unlike you do. Well... there were a few brave souls but I can tell you're different."

Naruto shrugged. "I guess I know a friendless kid when I see one. I was one, after all. I want to invite you because I know how it sucks not to have anyone to play with and I don't want you to feel that. I have only met you for a few minutes and I feel like you're one good kid apart from all that cold display."

Sasuke studied him for a few moments, analyzing the pros and cons of accepting his offer. He's had a traumatic experience of trusting someone and that someone hurt him in turn. He couldn't handle that pain again, that's why he was so cold and distant from other kids. They won't understand him. They won't understand how it feels to have no one. "What's your story?" he asked.

Naruto looked at him uneasily. "Well... like you, I'm an orphan. But I have been an orphan since I was a baby. They were killed by a demon and the villagers think it was me although I don't have any idea how I killed my own parents by only a few hours old. They said the demon almost destroyed the village and killed the Yondaime and his wife but I don't know how _I_ was the demon. They shunned me ever since."

At this point, Sasuke began to recognize him. "So... you're the kid that the villagers hate so much? Huh... you don't look bad to me. How would you have any kind of demonic power? You look harmless- if the small build was any indication."

Naruto smiled. If anything, he considered it as a compliment and appreciated it immensely. "Thanks."

"Whatever." Naruto blinked. Sasuke was odd. One minute, he was a little open about his thoughts then he was back to his cold, distant self in a blink of an eye; unusual kid.

"Come on. I've got some friends waiting for me at the park. Wanna come?" Naruto offered.

Sasuke shrugged.

"Alright," he said then stood up.

Naruto followed. Both now walked towards the park. When they arrived, they noticed a pinkette waving at them, rather, waving at Naruto.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto waved back. He turned to Sasuke.

"Come on, Sasuke!" he said. Naruto ran off towards the pinkette. Sasuke followed afterwards.

"Where are the others, Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"They haven't arrived yet," Sakura replied.

Then she noticed Sasuke. "Who's this?" she asked.

"Oh, Sasuke, this is Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan, this is Sasuke," he introduced both of them.

"Hey, Sasuke. You wanna hang with us?" Sakura asked with a smile.

"Hn. Fine," Sasuke, quite curtly, replied.

Sakura looked surprised. Naruto approached her. "Sorry about that. He's the last survivor of his clan, so... yeah. He's like that when I met him, too. I just met him so just go along with it," he whispered on her ear.

"Oh... okay," Sakura whispered back.

"What are you two talking about?" Sasuke asked.

Both straightened up their postures and stood a few feet away from each other.

"Nothing," both said, together.

"Hn. Whatever. Where are the others? Who are we waiting for?" he said.

"They'll arrive soon. You'll see," Naruto reassured him, smiling.

In a few minutes or so, Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino arrived. Ino was the first to notice Sasuke. She approached Sakura.

"Who's the cutie?" she whispered.

"Oh. He's Sasuke," Sakura whispered back.

Shikamaru and Choji were already circling around Sasuke, examining him like investigators.

"Uh... what're you doing, guys?" Naruto asked.

"Who's this?" Choji asked, munching on a big bag of potato chips.

"Guys, this is Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Choji and Shikamaru," Naruto introduced.

"Hey.", Choji and Shikamaru greeted.

"Hn," Sasuke greeted differently.

Choji and Shikamaru were taken aback. Naruto approached them. "Just go on with it.", Naruto said.

"Okay... what are we playing today?" Sakura lightened up the mood.

"Let's play..." Naruto started.

"How 'bout let's try out jutsus or climb trees?" Sasuke suggested.

The rest of the group looked at him and then at each other.

"Well... let's give it a try, then," Naruto said.

And they did what Sasuke suggested for the day. Sasuke practiced a Fireball Jutsu, Choji munched on his bag of chips, Shikamaru and Naruto climbed the trees, while Sakura and Ino just watched how they do it.

So goes Naruto's third day of making friends.

* * *

 _ **6 months later**_

It was the first day of school. Naruto woke up real early that morning and had on a new set of clothes. Instead of his old white t-shirt and green shorts, he now had a black t-shirt with a spiral on the middle of the shirt and white shorts complete with green goggles on his forehead. He did his daily duties and rushed out his apartment with his school bag to the academy. He was undoubtedly excited. It was the first step towards his dream of becoming Hokage.

On the way, he saw Sasuke walking towards his designated destination too. He waved at the Uchiha and the boy walked towards him.

"Ohayo, teme," Naruto greeted with a smile.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Hey, dobe. Excited for your first day, aren't you?" Sasuke said.

"Hell, yeah! Who wouldn't?!" Naruto enthusiastically said while pumping a fist to the air.

Sasuke shook his head.

"Come on, Sasuke! You don't wanna be late, do you?!" Naruto urged Sasuke and started running.

"Naruto, it's so early in the morning. How can we be late? We might as well be the first ones in there," Sasuke complained while rubbing his forehead.

"Stop talking and run, dumbass!" Naruto called from afar.

"Naruto! Stop calling me a dumbass!" he shouted. Sasuke came running after Naruto and not long after, he and Naruto were running side by side to the academy. They arrived just in time for the academy to be opened by Umino Iruka, their soon-to-be sensei.

"Ohayo, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto greeted from afar while panting.

Both boys stopped in front of Iruka and panted.

"Ohayo, Naruto, Sasuke," Iruka greeted back. "What brought you two this early?"

"Advanced studying," Sasuke said with a smile.

Iruka raised a brow. "Oh... okay. Come in," Iruka offered.

Both boys nodded then went inside the academy. They both went to their designated classroom together. Naruto and Sasuke chose a 2 person seat beside each other and put their bags on the seats to indicate that they claimed those seats. Naruto and Sasuke became close the day they met. In time, Sasuke was being noticed by all the young girls from the village and he now had a lot of _fan girls_ and Ino is one of them. Sakura isn't though.

Naruto didn't seem to bother though. They became very best friends and used to train every day. But at most times, they act like rivals.

* * *

 _ **Time skip 1 hour**_

Kids started coming in the academy to start their first period classes. There wasn't anyone in the training ground except for Naruto and Sasuke. Just when the school bell rang, they both rushed to their classroom. They were greeted by girls swooning on Sasuke. Sasuke rolled his eyes at them. The girls started closing in on Sasuke but Naruto kept them away. Only Iruka successfully pried them away by arriving.

"Ohayo, class. And welcome to the first day of school," Iruka greeted all of them.


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 6

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

The kids went back to their seats. Naruto saw Sakura enter the classroom and waved at her. Sakura saw him and waved back. She sat in front of them. Sasuke saw her but pays no attention.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" Naruto enthusiastically greeted with a toothy smile.

"Hey, Naruto," she said then smiled. "Hey, Sasuke."

"Hn. Whatever," Sasuke scoffed.

Naruto looked around the classroom. He couldn't believe how time flies fast. First, he was just a kid being hated daily by the villagers. Next, he gained friends, and then he takes the first step to being a Hokage, becoming a shinobi. He looked at Sasuke. He wore a blue sweater with his clan symbol at the back and white shorts. He was glad he could make a friend out of this cold and emotionless kid. He never knew his own strengths. Next, he looked at Sakura. Although he hasn't admitted it yet, but for him, she's beautiful. She wore a red shirt with her clan symbol at the back, a red ribbon on her head as a head band, and black shorts.

In the past 6 months, he started to fall in love with the pinkette. He loves everything about her, from her beautiful pink hair to her genuine smile down to her large forehead. Even though Sakura hates it, he thinks it's cute.

"Alright, class. Let's start. My name is Umino Iruka and I will be your teacher until the genin exams come up. I will teach you all the things you need to know to qualify as genin. Attendance check first. Start from the blue haired kid on that first seat down to Naruto," Iruka said.

The blue haired kid stood up.

"I'm Kurasaki Tadashi.", he introduced.

Naruto's blood boiled when he recognized the kid. Sakura looked behind her and saw Naruto's eyes burn with anger. She understood why.

"Naruto, calm down," she said. Naruto took a deep breath.

"Next!" Iruka said.

A black haired kid stood up. "I'm Daisuke Akiro.", the kid introduced himself.

Naruto clenched his fists. Sasuke noticed. "Naruto, are you okay?" he asked.

Naruto slowly nodded while heaving. Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances. Sakura sighed.

"Next!" Iruka called.

A brown haired kid stood up. "I'm Kazekiri Kyouji.", the kid introduced.

The three kids sat down together. Naruto's head bowed slightly, making his hair cover his eyes. Sasuke leaned towards Sakura.

"What's wrong with him?" Sasuke whispered.

"He got beaten up six months ago by those first three kids who introduced themselves. That was the first time I met him," she explained.

"Did you tell anyone about this?" he asked.

Sakura sighed then shook her head. "He didn't want anyone to worry. Besides, who would help him then?" Sasuke's eyes also flashed with anger. Now he looked upset. He stood up. Naruto looked at him.

"Iruka-sensei, if I may interfere," Sasuke requested.

Iruka and the rest of the class looked at him curiously. "Sasuke, what are you doing?" Sakura asked.

Naruto gaped at him.

 _'Sasuke...'_ he thought.

"Sasuke, what seems to be the problem?" Iruka asked.

"Sensei, those three kids who introduced themselves did something bad... about six months ago but no one knew," he started.

Iruka looked at the three kids. Once he did, the kids looked uneasy. He turned back to Sasuke.

"Carry on," Iruka said.

Sasuke narrowed his eyebrows. Ever since Naruto and he became close, he's developed a rather protective side when it came to his best friend. Although he would never admit it, he always felt like Naruto was a brother to him, almost like his older brother before. Naruto changed him the first time they met on that dock and it improved him.

Sasuke glared at the boys who flinched after seeing Sasuke's menacing stare. Sasuke sighed before continuing.

"I'm not sure if you will care but those boys attacked Naruto when he did nothing against them. They beat him up badly. If you don't want to believe me, ask Sakura," Sasuke explained.

Iruka looked surprised. He looked at Sakura.

"Is this true, Sakura?" he asked.

Sakura nodded solemnly. "Yes.", she said.

Iruka sighed. He turned to the three boys who were sweating.

"Boys, I'll have a word with you after school," he said.

"Nani?!" Akiro complained.

"Come on, Iruka-sensei! You gotta be better than that!" Kyouji complained as well.

"He's a demon! It's just right that we should beat him up!" Tadashi defended while pointing at Naruto.

"Beating other kids up is not right when he did nothing against you. And it's just not fair that that event happened six months ago but you three didn't get the punishment you deserve. Now you shall receive a proper for disrespecting me!" Iruka shouted at them.

The three boys continued complaining.

"Because of your rude manners, you will be mopping the floors of this academy, wipe all the windows, and arrange all the desks after school. Continue complaining and I will have you do ten laps around the village! I will not tolerate this kind of attitude from any of you," Iruka said in an authoritative voice.

The boys quietly grudgingly and glared at Sasuke but he glared back. Sasuke could've sworn he read Tadashi's lips say, "You're dead" before they begrudgingly sealed their lips shut.

"Alright, Sasuke. Take your seat. Who's next?", Iruka said.

Sasuke sat down. He noticed Naruto still staring at him.

"What? It's not right to beat someone up," Sasuke proclaimed.

Naruto smiled. "Thanks. If I hadn't known any better, I'd say that was an admission that you have a soft spot for me. I had no one to stand up for me and tell me that before," Naruto stated.

"It's because of that _demon_ , is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, those bullies better watch their backs 'cause I won't let them beat you up again."

Naruto's smile widened. "I'll count on it.", he teased.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Don't get all mushy on me now... ugh," he quipped.

Naruto chuckled good-naturedly.

* * *

Five minutes later, Sakura was next. She stood up.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. Pleased to meet you all," she introduced with a warm smile.

All the boys in the room except Sasuke stared dreamily at her. Sasuke noticed Naruto glare at the boys with killer intent. Sakura sat back down. Sasuke leaned in towards Naruto. "You're jealous, aren't you?" Sasuke teased.

"No way! Why would I be? I just don't like that they look at her like she's some piece of meat. She's my friend after all," Naruto denied.

"Come on. Don't deny it. I can tell you have a crush on her."

Naruto blushed. "No, I don't," he insisted.

Sasuke scoffed. "Deny all you want but I can tell Sakura has a crush on you too," he challenged.

"Really?!" Naruto asked with hopeful eyes.

"So you do have a crush on her!" Sasuke teased.

Naruto blushed again. "Shut up," he mumbled.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone..." Sasuke teased.

Naruto sighed in relief.

"...except for Sakura," he finished.

Naruto's face turned pale.

"Hey, Sakura..." Sasuke whispered to Sakura.

Sakura turns around.

"Hm?" she asked.

"I have to tell you something," Sasuke said.

"Oh... what is it?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but Naruto covered his mouth and put an arm around his neck.

"It's nothing! We were just playing with ya!" Naruto lied while chuckling nervously.

"Oh... well, carry on," she said then turned around again.

Naruto sighed. Sasuke sunk his teeth into his hand. He took his hands off of Sasuke and clutched his right hand where he was bit. "Ow! What was that for?!" Naruto complained while bopping Sasuke on the head.


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 7

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

After school, Naruto and Sasuke walked together to the training grounds. Little did they know that three figures were following them all the way with a pink-haired girl who was blindfolded, gagged and tied with a rope on her hands and feet. She appeared to be struggling to get away. No one noticed the three boys as they hid from every civilian they passed by on their way to the training grounds. They were being extremely cautious. Once the two friends arrived at training ground #10, they set their things under a tree nearby then both ran towards the open field. They began sparring, just exchanging blows and throwing kunais or shurikens at each other.

They got their weapons from Sasuke which was given to him by his older brother and parents. In a while, both were exhausted then sat under the tree where they placed their stuff.

"Not bad, teme. You improved," Naruto teased.

"Not bad yourself, dobe. You yourself got better at Taijutsu," Sasuke countered.

"Not bad, indeed," a jeering voice behind them said.

They turned around to see Tadashi, Akiro, and Kyouji with Sakura, who was being gripped on the right arm by Akiro. She was struggling to break free from his grasp. Her hands and feet were tied with ropes, her mouth was gagged, and her eyes, blindfolded. She was complaining through the gag.

Her words were muffled by the gag but Naruto understood what she was saying.

Naruto's face expressed horror as he stared wide-eyed at the pinkette. He stood up and so did Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed with worry.

Sakura stopped struggling as soon as she heard the familiar voice. She mumbled something that said "Naruto." Akiro threw Sakura to Naruto who, by instinct, caught her before she landed on the ground. Naruto immediately untied the ropes from her while Sasuke stood before them, covering them from sight.

"No one stands up against us and gets away with it, losers," Tadashi snarled.

"So what? What makes you think we're scared? Look at you," Sasuke taunted though it was apparent the three boys were towering over them.

Naruto successfully took off the ropes, gag, and the hanky from her. He helped Sakura stand up and protectively wrapped an arm around her petite figure.

"What the hell did you bring her here for?" Naruto demanded while narrowing his eyes at them.

"To teach you three a lesson," Akiro replied while cracking his knuckles in a boastful way.

"But why did you drag her into this mess?! I'm the one who you need to deal with, not her!" Naruto shouted.

"Keep our voice down or I'll break you!" Tadashi growled.

"I don't care about your bullshit!" Naruto said as he let go of Sakura and rushed towards the nearest boy who was Kyouji.

Naruto held back his arm to punch Kyouji and successfully did so. The boy fell to the ground with a resounding thud. Tadashi and Akiro rushed towards Naruto and both held back a fist to land a blow on the blond. Sasuke rushed towards them and grabbed their wrists.

"Don't you dare!" Sasuke growled then punched both of them.

Tadashi and Akiro fell on their behind. Kyouji managed to stand but Naruto punched him which sent him back down again. Tadashi wiped the trickle of blood off his nostril and stood up. He grabbed Sasuke's right wrist and prepared to punch him but was intercepted by Naruto. Naruto held his free wrist and glared at him.

"What do you think you're doing?, Naruto taunted then punched Tadashi's jaw.

Tadashi fell back to the ground while Akiro grabbed Naruto's ankle and dragged him down. While on the ground, Naruto kicked Akiro's face with his free leg. It made Akiro let go of his leg and clutch his jaw. Sasuke helped Naruto stand up and both went back to Sakura who was standing a few meters away before the fight. Naruto extended his left arm as a sign of protection. Sasuke stood in front of them. The three boys stood up together and glared at them.

"Stay back, Sakura," Naruto said.

Sakura knew Naruto was serious since he dropped the _'-chan'_ off her name so she nodded. She has never seen Naruto this furious. In fact, she has never seen this side of him. She felt a bit flattered that he was furious because they tried to hurt her but she was worried about what might happen to him and Sasuke. She also felt a little guilty that they were fighting because of her... _for_ her.

Naruto, Sasuke and the three boys did a fighting stance.

"Let's finish this," Naruto declared.

* * *

Sakura stayed a few meters away from them to avoid getting wounded from the fight. Tadashi, followed by Akiro and Kyouji, was the first to charge. Naruto and Sasuke stayed in their positions until they were a few meters away from them. Naruto hit Tadashi then Sasuke hit Akiro. Kyouji served as the back-up. When Sasuke hit Akiro, he landed a blow to Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke was about to fall down until he kicked Kyouji's legs and they both fell down. Naruto hit Kyouji and started to take Tadashi and Akiro by himself. Sasuke tackled Kyouji and bombarded his face with heavy blows. Kyouji was bruised and bleeding by the time he was out cold.

Sasuke then ran towards Naruto to help him and began to attack Akiro. Naruto and Tadashi stood meters away from each other.

"That pinky was weak, don't you think?" Tadashi sneered.

Naruto snarled. "Don't make fun of Sakura-chan.", he said.

"Whatever. I hate her anyway. She has a really ugly forehead, too," he said.

"I said don't make fun of her!" Naruto snarled.

Tadashi charged towards Naruto and held back his arm to give him a good punch. Unfortunately, Naruto was the first to land a blow on him. Tadashi fell to the ground. Naruto straddled him and proceeded to throw blows on his face. Unable to stand more, Tadashi covered his face with both hands, making Naruto stop midair.

"No, please! Stop! I'll do anything! Anything!" Tadashi pleaded.

Naruto's left hand gripped the collar of Tadashi's navy blue sweater and held back his right arm as if to punch Tadashi. He glared straight into his eyes. Tadashi whimpered a little at the menacing stare.

"Leave us alone. You go straight home and never tell anyone about this. It's up to you to come up with a reason on how you got wounded. If I found out you or your cronies told someone about this, I'm coming to you first and I will beat you up so bad, you'll die days later. I am sick of your bullshit, you little piece of shit. One peep and your neck breaks. You don't hurt me or my friends ever again. Stay away from us, you little creep. Understood?" Naruto growled, his oceanic blue eyes furious.

"Yes! I promise to stay out of your way forever!" Tadashi said.

Naruto let go of Tadashi and stood up. Tadashi hurriedly called Akiro who was down on the ground with Sasuke sitting on him and both dragged Kyouji away. Naruto sat down as he was exhausted and Sasuke lay down beside him.

"Well, that was easy. They barely landed a blow on us," Sasuke stated and chuckled.

Sakura approached the duo. "You guys okay?" she asked, examining their figures.

Both nodded. "Don't worry. We barely got a scratch," Naruto said. Sakura sat beside Naruto and rested her head on his shoulder as they stared at the sunset.

"Thanks for standing up to me. I appreciate it, really, but what happens if they tell us to the authorities?" she said.

"You have nothing to worry about. Besides, they'll never show their faces to us again. And you shouldn't thank us, Sakura-chan, I'd do anything for you," Naruto said, grinning a toothy smile.

Sasuke just lay there, looking at the sky. "Naruto, what did you say to that blue head that made him back out?" Sasuke asked.

"Nothing. I just punched him a lot of times and he couldn't take more. Before I let him go, I set conditions to him," Naruto replied.

"What conditions?" Sakura asked.

"I just told him to leave us alone. No biggie," Naruto said.

Sakura shrugged.


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 8

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

After that incident, the three boys haven't bothered them. Naruto was relieved and peaceful since he knows that Sakura will never get bullied again. They lived happily and peacefully, knowing the three boys are sure to never get in their way again. They also began to make more friends with the help of Sakura. Naruto and Sasuke deemed themselves worthy of being the best in class since they both do well in their studies. Most boys envy and aspire to be like them while the girls are still fawning over Sasuke save for Sakura who thinks he's an absolute emo. Naruto doesn't appear to care about the girls.

Here they are in class, chatting with each other. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are talking about how their lives are going. It was still early in the morning so they took their time knowing each other more, not that they don't yet. Thirty minutes later, the room began to fill with students. Just then, Iruka arrived. "Kids, go to the practice hall now!" Iruka announced loudly.

They walked out to the practice hall. They lined up in a row with Iruka in front of them.

"Today, our lesson is on Taijutsu. Naruto, Sasuke, come here," Iruka said.

Naruto and Sasuke walked beside Iruka. "You both will spar using only Taijutsu," Iruka instructed.

Naruto and Sasuke nodded at each other and walked to the center of the hall. They stood meters away from each other, waiting for Iruka's signal.

"Ready..." Iruka said then held up his right hand.

Naruto and Sasuke took their fighting stances. As Iruka put down his hand, both charged at each other. They sparred the way Iruka wanted them to. While they were sparring, Iruka taught them on how to attack, block, and dodge. Both boys were agile in their movements. They exchanged blows but neither has been hit yet. It was a stalemate. Their classmates didn't notice though, they were guessing on who will win.

"I bet Naruto will win. Right, Akamaru?" a friend of theirs named Inuzuka Kiba said to a small white puppy named Akamaru perched on his shoulder. Akamaru barked in agreement. At a very young age, Akamaru was given to Kiba by his mother, Tsume, and the two became very close soon afterwards. Like most of his clan, he has messy brown hair, sharp black eyes with vertical slit-like pupils, pronounced canine teeth, and nails that he can change into claws. He also has the distinctive red fang markings of the Inuzuka clan on his cheeks. Kiba's attire consisted of dark greyish pants reaching to his calves and a grey, hooded fur-lined coat, with the hood usually placed on his head, over an apparent plate of armor and fishnet undershirt with blue sandals.

"I don't think so. Sasuke will win for sure," Choji disagreed, munching on some chips he brought. Like other Akimichi, Choji has a rotund build and markings on his cheeks in the form of swirls. He has spiky, brown hair that sticks upward. Choji donned a green, short-sleeved haori with a long, white scarf over a light-green shirt with the kanji for "food" on it. He also wore black shorts, hoop earrings, and bandages around his legs and forearms.

"The flames of youth are both in them but I am willing to bet that Naruto-san will win!" another friend named Rock Lee, who has shiny black hair, round eyes with prominent lower eyelashes, and very thick eyebrows, said. Lee wore a white, short-sleeved kimono-shirt with a martial arts belt and dark pants, giving him a more traditional Chinese appearance.

"What a drag. I bet it's a draw," Shikamaru drawled out. Shikamaru has narrow brown eyes and a typical expression suggesting he is either bored or irritated. He has shoulder length black hair tied in a spiky ponytail. He wears a short-sleeved grey jacket with green-edged sleeves and the rudimentary Nara clan symbol on the back, under which is a green-lined mesh T-shirt. He also wears brown pants, a pair of his clan's traditional silver hoop earrings.

"No, I'm positive Naruto will win," Sakura said. Sakura wears a red qipao dress — at various times either with or without short sleeves — with slits along the sides accompanied by a zipper and white circular designs. She also wears tight dark green bike shorts with a shuriken holster around her right thigh, blue sandals.

"No! Sasuke-kun will win! I can feel it! Naruto doesn't stand a chance against him!" Ino jeered. Ino has fair skin, blue eyes and long platinum blonde hair worn in a ponytail, with bangs framing the right side of her face. Her ponytail extends to her waist. Ino regularly wears a purple outfit consisting of a high-collared blouse and matching apron skirt. She sports this attire with bandages on her abdomen and legs, small hoop-earrings.

"I a-agree with S-Sakura-san. I t-think N-Naruto-kun w-will win," stuttered Hyuuga Hinata, a friend of theirs. As a Hyuuga, Hinata possesses the Byakugan, giving her featureless white eyes. She has dark blue hair that she keeps in a hime-cut. Her hair is short, kept just above her forehead with chin-length strands framing her face. Hinata usually wears a cream-colored hooded-jacket with a fire symbol on the upper sleeves and fur around the cuffs and hem. Along with this she wears navy blue pants.

"Whatever. I'm still betting on Sasuke-kun," Ino said and crossed her arms.

* * *

Fifteen minutes had passed and still neither of them emerged victorious. They stood away from each other in one knee, panting and sweating. Naruto wiped the sweat off his cheek and stood up together with Sasuke. They walked towards each other. As soon as they were meters apart, their classmates held their breaths. They wanted to know what they will do next. Both boys grabbed the each other's shirt and held a fist while glaring at each other. For a brief moment of communicating with only their eyes, they both agreed to end the fight in a draw.

As soon as the blows came, they were sent a few feet away from each other and into unconsciousness. Iruka held out his hands to both boys' prone forms. "It's a tie!" Iruka said.

Then he turned to the students. "Now, what have you learned today?" Iruka asked.

Sakura timidly raised her hand.

"Yes, Sakura?" Iruka asked kindly.

"We should always watch the enemy's actions and attack them at the right time. It is essential in a fight to be aggressive but not to exaggerate the attacks lest you get tired easily. Taijutsu is all about physically attacking your opponent and it is also an advantage because it doesn't require you to use up your chakra," Sakura said.

Shikamaru raised his hand. Iruka nodded to him.

"Actually, Taijutsu typically does not require chakra, though chakra may be used to enhance its techniques. Taijutsu generally requires no hand seals to perform, occasionally making use of certain stances or poses, and are far quicker to use than ninjutsu or genjutsu. Taijutsu is simply put: hand-to-hand combat. But we should also learn how to properly block an upcoming attack or either dodge so as to avoid getting hit. Blocking or dodging is important when you have no protective gear but even still, you should not be overly confident on your protective gear," Shikamaru countered.

"Both of you are correct. Taijutsu is a basic form of techniques and refers to any techniques involving the martial arts or the optimization of natural human abilities. Taijutsu is executed by directly accessing the user's physical and mental energies, relying on the stamina and strength gained through training. It can also be an advantage because when your opponent is a kunoichi, or someone who is skilled in the healing arts, it will prevent them from healing themselves because you are in close proximity and are always ready for attack," Iruka explained.

As soon as he said this, Naruto and Sasuke stirred. Sakura and some boys rushed to Naruto's side while Ino and the other girls except Hinata rushed to Sasuke's side.

"You okay, Naruto?" Sakura asked worriedly.

Naruto sat up and rubbed his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Who won?" Naruto said.

"It was a draw, actually. Both of you did great," Sakura said, smiling.

Naruto smiled back at her. "Arigato, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke sat up and he was bombarded with statements. "Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" "Sasuke-kun, do you want some water?" "Sasuke-kun, you were awesome!" "You are so strong, Sasuke-kun!" And Sasuke this and Sasuke that. Sasuke toned them out and groaned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You're crowding on me. I can't breathe," Sasuke quipped.

Immediately, the girls took a step back. Sasuke stood up and looked around. He saw his friends with Naruto.

"Good fight, Naruto," Kiba said.

Lee offered a hand to let Naruto stand up. Naruto took Lee's hand and was pulled up to stand.

"Thanks, Bushy Brows," Naruto said.

Naruto looked to where Sasuke stood and Sasuke approached him. Naruto and Sasuke stood face to face. Sasuke held out his hand.

"Good fight, dobe," Sasuke smirked.

Naruto gripped Sasuke's hand with his own and gave a firm squeeze.

"Same here, teme," Naruto grinned.

Sasuke shook his head and smiled a little. Naruto pulled his hand away and noticed Iruka walk towards them.

"You guys okay?" Iruka asked Naruto and Sasuke. They both nodded.

"Good. You both did well but you still need to improve, okay?" Iruka said.

"I promise I'll do better, sensei," Naruto said.

"Me too, sensei," Sasuke said.

Iruka nodded and smiled. "I know you will. Now, you will all spar with each other so that you could practice your Taijutsu. Find a partner and spar together. I will grade you according to offense and defense. Understood?" Iruka instructed.

"Hai!" they all said.

They began to pair up and spar with each other. Iruka turned to Sasuke and Naruto who were about to spar in front of him.

"Naruto, Sasuke, you may rest," Iruka said.

"But sensei, we're not tired yet. We want to spar again," Naruto whined.

"No. You both did well already. Besides, you both are gonna train later. Just rest," Iruka said.

"But sensei..." Naruto was cut off.

"Orders are orders, Naruto. A shinobi must learn to obey orders. Is that clear?" Iruka said.

Naruto nodded. Sasuke put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Naruto. We'll spar later. Like he said, shinobi must learn to follow orders. And we're shinobi, right?" Sasuke reassured him.

"Not yet," Naruto said.

"But we will be in a few years. We will have to learn all shinobi rules, eventually," Sasuke said.

Naruto sighed and nodded. "You're right. Let's just sit down," Naruto said.

They sat on a nearby bench and observed their classmates sparring. They talked for a little while since they were bored. After a while, they were sent home since Iruka was done grading them all. And of course, Naruto and Sasuke got the highest marks for their Taijutsu.


	9. Chapter 9

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 9

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

 _ **Seven years later**_

The sun is still yet to rise and Konoha is as peaceful as paradise. Naruto wakes up early in the morning and does his daily routine. He is now twelve years old. He wore a blue and orange jumpsuit and his goggles. His jumpsuit has the Uzumaki clan crest at the back. Sasuke is also twelve years old. He has black eyes and spiky black hair with a blue tint and his hair hung over his face as bangs. He wears a navy blue, short-sleeved shirt with a high collar; white shorts; and white arm warmers. As for Sakura, she is now thirteen years old. Sakura wears a red qipao dress with slits along the sides accompanied by a zipper and white circular designs. She also wears tight dark green bike shorts with a shuriken holster around her right thigh, blue sandals.

For the past seven years, they had earned the Top 3 spots in class with Naruto in the Top 1 spot, next Sasuke, then Sakura.

Naruto exits his apartment to go to school early. As soon as he arrives, he finds Sasuke already there, chilling. Sasuke notices him and smirks at him.

"I win, dobe," Sasuke cheered half-heartedly.

"Whatever, teme. I woke up a little later than I usually do.", Naruto reasoned.

"Tch. Excuses, excuses," Sasuke teases then leans back in his chair to relax.

Naruto smiles and shakes his head. He walks beside Sasuke and sits beside him. 10 minutes later, Sakura arrives.

"Ohayo, Sasuke, Naruto," Sakura greets with a warm smile.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greets back.

"Hmm..." Sasuke mumbles in response.

Naruto nudges Sasuke with his elbow. "Can't you be more polite?" Naruto chastised.

"It's fine, Naruto. I'm used to him anyway," Sakura reassures Naruto.

"Well... I'm not used yet. Still gets in my nerves, dattebayo," Naruto glares at Sasuke.

Sasuke ignored him making steam go out if Naruto's ears and nose. A vein popped in his head and his face showed pure anger.

"Teme..." Naruto started.

Sakura looked back and forth at them nervously. She had to do something to prevent Naruto and Sasuke from fighting. She didn't like it when they fought. It was disconcerting because she knew she couldn't pick sides- even if Sasuke didn't care if she took Naruto's side. Sasuke can be hard-headed at times, a trait he acquired from Naruto, coupled with the fact that he had no parents to scold him when he picked fights; she had to adjust to him. Though having not experienced her loved ones taken away from her, she understood the dark-haired boy's plight.

"Hey, Naruto, have you prepared for the Genin exams?" Sakura asked, turning to Naruto.

Naruto turns to look at her and gave her a smile at her attempt to dissuade him from throttling Sasuke. He knew she didn't like it when they bicker, and at times, fight- even good-naturedly. She was the mediator in their trio, always making sure they stick together. He decided not to pick a fight with Sasuke- even if he really wanted to because Sakura didn't deserve to be ignored. At times, Sasuke could be really overbearing and annoying, he knew.

"Yeah. Didn't need to study much since the exam's sure to get easy," Naruto said.

"Don't get so cocky. This isn't a child's game anymore, dobe. This is the next step to officially becoming a shinobi," Sasuke said.

"I know. But I nailed all those tests and became Top 1 in class so why do I need to worry?" Naruto confidently said.

"I suppose you have a point but it can't hurt to be sure, Naruto," Sakura said.

"I'll be fine, Sakura-chan! You'll see, dattebayo! I'll pass the exams with flying colors," Naruto said, grinning. Sakura returned it. Sasuke just rolled his eyes.

They talked some more until people came in and started studying for the Genin exams. Thirty minutes later, their instructors came in. One of them was Iruka and a man that had white shoulder-length hair with a slight hint of blue to it and green eyes. He wore the standard attire of the Konoha-nin which included a flak jacket and forehead protector that he wore like a bandanna.

"Ohayo, minna. This is Mizuki and we will be your instructors during the written exam," Iruka said.

They began passing test papers to the students. After they were done, they stood in front of the class.

"Okay, minna, you may start," Iruka said.

The students started answering the test and most of them had confused looks except for one student.

 _'This test is driving me crazy!'_ Ino thought.

 _'I can do this! Think, Sasuke, think!'_ Sasuke thought.

 _'This is troublesome. I just want to sleep,'_ Shikamaru thought while yawning.

 _'I hope we all get through this,'_ Sakura thought.

Naruto noticed the disturbed, annoyed, pale, and confused looks of all his classmates and grinned to himself.

 _'It's not that bad. I'm glad I read 'Advanced Book for Aspiring Shinobi'. It might have been meant for Jounins, but it was well worth it. I can't believe the answer to every question on this test is covered by that book. Lucky me. Bet they didn't expect this test to be this advanced,'_ Naruto thought, smirking.

Five minutes later, he stood up to pass his paper.

"Oh, Naruto. Done already?" Iruka asked with a shocked expression.

"I guess I'm just lucky I was prepared," Naruto shrugged, passing his paper.

"You may wait outside, Naruto. We will post the results after the others are done," Mizuki said. Naruto nodded. He went to the door but before he got out, he looked at his classmates and gave them an amused smile, making them confused.

"Good luck, minna," he saluted then went out.

After they were all done, they were sent out to let the instructors compute their scores. Sasuke paced back and forth anxiously out of the door of the exam room. Their classmates were in the training hall, chatting. Naruto and Sakura sat on a bench nearby.

"Will you calm down, teme?!" Naruto complained, feeling irritated by Sasuke's pacing.

"How can I calm down, dobe?! What if I made a mistake in the test? What if I misspelled some jutsus? What if I won't pass?!" Sasuke rambled.

"Quit whining and calm down. We prepared for this exam together. It won't make sense if Sakura-chan and I pass and you don't." Naruto shook his head. Sakura rubbed his arm to calm him down. She knew he was getting affected as well by Sasuke's meaningless mini-anxiety attacks.

Twenty minutes later, Mizuki went out of the classroom with a paper and went to the bulletin board to post it. While he called the students, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura took a look at the scores.

Results:

1.) Uzumaki Naruto- 100% (Passed)  
2.) Uchiha Sasuke- 98.5% (Passed)  
3.) Haruno Sakura- 97.9% (Passed)  
4.) Nara Shikamaru – 97.5% (Passed)  
5.) Hyuuga Neji- 96% (Passed)  
6.) Aburame Shino- 96% (Passed)  
7.) Rock Lee- 90% (Passed)  
8.) Hyuuga Hinata- 89% (Passed)  
9.) Yamanaka Ino- 85% (Passed)  
10.) Akimichi Choji- 84.9% (Passed)  
11.) Tenten- 84.5% (Passed)

30.) Inuzuka Kiba- 65% (Passed)

Naruto smiled at his score. He looked at Sasuke. "I win again, teme," Naruto mocked.

"Tch. Whatever. At least I'm still in the Top 3 chart," Sasuke said.

"Congrats, Naruto! You got perfect again!" Sakura cheered.

The other students came and looked at their scores. Kiba was the first to complain.

"Nani?! I barely managed to pass!" Kiba shouted.

"A-At least y-you passed t-the exam, K-Kiba-kun," Hinata said softly.

"She's right, my youthful friend!" Lee encouraged.

"The passing grade is 65%, Kiba," Naruto reassured him.

"And besides, whose fault is it that you didn't study?" Sasuke smirked.

"Hey!" Kiba complained.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. Just then, Iruka went out and called them in again. They did and went back to their seats.

"As you all know, after the test, we will have an assembly to determine who gets to be a Genin and who will stay in the academy until the next Genin exams," Iruka announced.

"So today, before you all leave, most of you will become Genins. The passing grade is 65% and if you get lower than that, you have no choice but to stay in the academy if you really want to become a shinobi," Mizuki said seriously.

Kiba sighed in relief.

"Told ya," Naruto whispered in his ear.

"Okay. Let's start. First to become a Genin, with the highest score, may I call to come in front of the class, Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka cheered.

As Naruto was going towards the front, Iruka kept announcing his other achievements.

"Best in academics, best in Taijutsu, best in Ninjutsu, best in combat, perfect attendance, and thus, is given the following titles...", Iruka announced.

As Naruto went near him, he smiled towards Naruto. Naruto stood in front of the instructors with pride and confidence.

"Most outstanding Student, Top 1 in the whole class, and the Kitsune of Konoha, which is a title given by the Sandaime to Naruto for being excellent in the field of the shinobi way," Iruka said.

Mizuki held out Naruto's hitai-ate.

"Congratulations on graduating, Naruto," Mizuki congratulated.

"Arigato, Mizuki-sensei, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto enthusiastically thanked.

Naruto went back to his seat between Sakura and Sasuke.

"Way to go, Naruto!" Sakura cheered.

"Congrats, dobe," Sasuke murmured.

"Thanks, guys," Naruto said while smiling his toothy smile.

Naruto began examining his hitai-ate and wore it on his forehead.

"Now may I call in front, second to become a Genin and with highest honors as well, Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka called.

Sasuke calmly stood up and went to the front of the class with most of the girls swooning behind him. He stood in front of his instructors with a calm expression.

"Second best in academics, second best in Taijutsu, second best in Ninjutsu, second best in combat, best strategist, perfect attendance, and thus given the following titles..." Iruka continued.

"Top 2 in class, outstanding student, and thus is the Snake of Konoha for being excellent in combat strategies and stealth," Iruka continued.

Mizuki handed Sasuke his hitai-ate. "Congratulations, Sasuke," Mizuki said.

"Arigato," Sasuke acknowledged in a stoic tone as the girls were squealing and giggling in the background. He wore his hitai-ate the same way Naruto wore his then went back to his seat.

Before they were sent home, they were given an announcement.

"Okay. Tomorrow, you will know your teams and your Jounin sensei. Since you're all Genins now, you will start to take D-rank missions. Understood?" Iruka announced.

"Hai!" they said.

"Okay. You may go," Iruka said.

All the students went out of the room. Before Naruto could get out of the academy, Mizuki stopped him.

"Naruto, may I have a word with you?" Mizuki asked.

"Sure, Mizuki-sensei! What do you need?" Naruto said.

"I need you to get something for me," Mizuki said.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"It's in a room in the Hokage tower. It's the only room on the top most floor. It's a big red scroll at the back of the room. I left it there while I was on a mission debriefing. Can I count on you to get it?"

"Don't worry, sensei! I'll get it for ya!"

"Oh, and can you give it to me tonight? I'll be waiting in here."

"Alright. See ya later, sensei!"

And with that, Naruto ran off to his apartment. Mizuki looked to where Naruto went then smirked venomously.

 _'Finally found someone to do my bidding. Ha! Good thing it's the demon, too. They don't give a crap about him,'_ Mizuki thought and mentally cackled.

Later that night, while the villagers were tucking in for the night, Naruto made his way stealthily to the Hokage tower. The Sandaime has just gone out of his office. Naruto entered through window of his office before the Sandaime locked it. He looked around to see if anyone is still in the place. When the coast was clear, he made his way to the top floor. Once he arrived, he saw a red door. There was a sign but since it was already night time, he couldn't make out what it read. He approached the door and silently opened it. In the room were a lot of scrolls, big and small. He recalled what Mizuki-sensei described his scroll.

 _'What did he say again? Big red scroll? At the back of the room?'_ he thought.

He walked to the back of the room and saw the big red scroll Mizuki-sensei talked about. It was at least two feet tall. He began to get it but was curious of what the scroll contained. He knew it was wrong to look into someone else's things without asking them, his curiosity won over his moral judgement. _'Nah, he wouldn't notice a thing. A little peek won't hurt anyone!'_ he thought, shrugging off any doubts he still had.

He slowly laid it to the ground and carefully opened it.

He read, _"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ (Shadow Clone Jutsu)".

"Wow. I haven't seen this technique before. They didn't even mention this to us in the academy. I guess I've hit the jackpot! This'll be useful in the Chuunin exams," Naruto murmured enthusiastically.

He began reading the instructions and memorizing them the way he studies his lessons. By two minutes, he was done and was about to do the hand signs when the lights turned on and a familiar voice called out.

"Naruto?" Iruka called.

Naruto stared in horror at his sensei who had just arrived.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Iruka angrily demanded.

"I-I was j-just getting this scroll for Mizuki-sensei. He said he left it here. And he sent me here to get it for him," Naruto stammered.

"Wait, wait, wait, and wait! Hold on! Mizuki sent you here?!" Iruka asked, visibly fuming.

"Y-Yeah," Naruto admitted, gulping.

"Didn't you read the sign outside?"

"No. I couldn't see anything since the lights were off."

Iruka slapped his forehead- which was an awkward feat as he only hit his hitai-ate- and sighed.

"It's hard to believe you're first in your class when you can be an idiot sometimes," Iruka stated.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Just then, Iruka's face became serious.

"This place is off-limits. Only the Jounins and the higher ranks know about this place," Iruka explained.

"What is this place anyway, sensei?" Naruto asked, curiosity piqued.

"It's where the Forbidden Jutsus are kept," Iruka replied.

Naruto gulped, face expressing shock.

 _'Forbidden Jutsus?'_ he thought.

He examined the scroll once again and unrolled it back. He put it back to rest on the wall then stood up. He bowed his head in respect to Iruka.

"Gomenasai, sensei," Naruto apologized.

"It's fine, Naruto. You are a good shinobi and can easily be trusted. It wasn't your fault. You are still learning and growing. Let this be a lesson to you to _always_ read the signs. They're very important Okay?" Iruka chastised lightly.

"Hai, sensei." Naruto stood straight, saluting him playfully. Iruka laughed at him as he joined in.

Then, Naruto's face became serious. "What do we do about Mizuki?" Naruto asked.

Iruka's face lit up. "I think have an idea and I'm going to need your help," Iruka said.


	10. Chapter 10

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 10

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto and Iruka made their way to the academy to confront Mizuki. They had planned it all out in several minutes and even prepared a Plan B if anything unexpected happens. They had informed the Hokage about the situation and Naruto was given a thorough chastising for being so careless. Though skeptical and concerned for the now Genin, Iruka and Hiruzen had agreed that Naruto should be the one to confront Mizuki personally when he offered.

Naruto took off his hitai-ate and gave it to Iruka.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Iruka asked, dumbfounded.

"It's for safekeeping. I wouldn't want my hitai-ate destroyed on first day of my new life," Naruto explained while pulling out his green goggles from his jacket.

He wore it on his forehead and nodded to Iruka. He then entered the academy halls with the big red scroll strapped behind him, walking until he reached the room where he had his Genin exam. As for Iruka, he stood guard outside, waiting for back-up which he asked for when had a conversation with the Sandaime a few moments ago. Inside, Naruto found Mizuki in the darkness, leaning on a wall in front of him. Naruto couldn't see clearly but he figured that Mizuki had a large shuriken strapped on his back with his arms crossed. He was expecting a fight- as he rightfully should.

"Naruto, have you brought with you the scroll that I ask for?" Mizuki asked in a mysterious tone.

Naruto took off the scroll from his back and held it with both hands firmly.

"What do you intend to do with it, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"What do you mean? It's mine. Why do you want to know?" Mizuki said, suspicion clear in his voice.

"You lied," Naruto growled.

Mizuki was taken back as his eyes widened.

"What? W-W... You... Wait, you read... the scroll?!" Mizuki exclaimed.

"Yes! And I'm glad I did because it's not even yours!" Naruto growled again.

Mizuki closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes again.

"Look, kid, just give me the scroll. I don't want to fight you," Mizuki impatiently said.

"Not until you tell me what you are going to do with it. Besides, I take liars seriously," Naruto stood firm.

Mizuki was somehow ticked off by this.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Mizuki asked through gritted teeth.

"And why do you want it so bad?" Naruto countered, taunting him.

Mizuki stood speechless. He walked towards Naruto until he was only a few feet away. He stiffly stretched his arm towards him.

"Give me the scroll," Mizuki snarled.

"Never," Naruto growled.

"Fine! You asked for it!" Mizuki shouted, pulling out a kunai from his holster.

Mizuki was about to hit Naruto when the boy ran out with the scroll. Mizuki gave chase right after. Naruto ran to the back door of the academy and went out to a thick forest. He kept running until he could no longer see Mizuki chasing him. He looked around and saw a huge tree about fifteen feet tall. He set out towards said tree jumped on a tree branch. He climbed until he reached the highest branch where a big hole was found on the trunk of a tree. The hole gave him an idea.

Mizuki ran towards the direction where Naruto went. After looking around under the tree where Naruto hid, he set off again.

Naruto saw Mizuki run towards his tree and held his breath. He saw Mizuki look around the area but was stupid enough not to look up. Even when enshrouded by darkness, Naruto knew he'd be discovered by his orange jumpsuit which made him contemplate on why he loved orange so much. When Mizuki left, he heaved a sighed and set down the scroll on the branch. He wiped the sweat trickling from his left temple. He duplicated the scroll and strapped the duplicate on his back. Then he hid the real one in a big hole on the trunk of the tree. He then set off to go down again. He jumped and landed on the ground with a resounding thud. He looked around to see if Mizuki was nearby. As he was about to run towards the academy, someone called him from behind.

"Naruto!" a voice called.

Naruto spun around to see Iruka and breathed a sigh of relief but something was wrong. He noticed Iruka to have a big shuriken the same one Mizuki had strapped on his back.

"Sensei, how'd you find me?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"I heard Mizuki scream and I saw you run here. Give me the scroll, Naruto. I'll take care of it from here, now go!" Iruka said.

"Sensei, what about the plan?" Naruto asked, still cautious.

"Don't mind the plan. Just give me the scroll. Don't worry; I'll distract him for you. Go back to the academy and wait for me there, I'll be the one to dispose of him," Iruka insisted.

Naruto's eyes furrowed dangerously.

"You think I'm stupid, don't you? Well, tough luck. You need Henge lessons. I know you're not Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, clapping his hands together to form a seal.

Naruto uttered the word 'Kai' which made Iruka disappear with a poof and standing in his place was Mizuki. The man was shocked on how Naruto knew that it was him. He could've sworn he did the Henge right.

"How'd you know it was me?" Mizuki asked, eyes narrowing.

"Iruka-sensei doesn't have a shuriken behind him and you don't even know what we've planned in store for you. You need to improve on your Henge," Naruto replied.

"You truly are the smartest in your batch," Mizuki stated, stiffening.

"Perhaps this should teach you never to underestimate me ever again," Naruto growled.

Naruto threw a couple of shuriken towards Mizuki but the man dodged. Mizuki pulled out a kunai from his holster and charged towards Naruto. On instinct, Naruto pulled out two kunais and began hand to hand combat with Mizuki. You could see that all he learned in from Iruka has served him well and he was grateful for it. It gave him the upper hand as he landed a few cuts on Mizuki but he still remained unscratched. Mizuki was frustrated that a Genin was better than him and had to take drastic measures. He kicked Naruto's shins making the boy fall back and land on his bottom as he didn't expect the dirty move. Mizuki jumped up high in the air and threw the big shuriken towards Naruto.

Naruto, still recovering from his fall, saw the shuriken coming towards him and he had no time to dodge. He pulled his arms up to his face, closed his eyes, and braced for impact. But none came. He heard Mizuki land on the ground with a small thud. Instead, he felt breathing near his face and slowly opened his eyes. What he saw shocked him. He saw Iruka hovering on him, blood trickling down his lower lip. He saw the shuriken lodged on Iruka's back. The sight made him speechless. Iruka took the shuriken for him. Iruka coughed a little blood on his cheek and smiled down at him.

"You okay, Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"S-Sensei... what..." Naruto murmured, speechless.

"Take the scroll. I'll take it from here," Iruka said.

"B-But sensei..." Naruto stuttered.

"No buts, Naruto. That is an order and shinobi obeys orders," Iruka coughed out.

Naruto nodded. Iruka sat on his behind while Naruto stood up with the fake scroll and ran. He hid behind a tree nearby and sat, hugging the scroll to his chest. Iruka pulled out the shuriken from his back and rested his back on the nearest tree.

"What did you do, Iruka?! You let him get away!" Mizuki snarled.

Iruka glared at him.

"You shouldn't have let Naruto take that scroll for you," Iruka sounded as he was reprimanding a naughty child.

"Why so soft on him? He's just a demon!" Mizuki said.

Naruto, who was listening, heard Mizuki's words making him lower his head. Even after ignoring the accusation so many times... even when he graduated top of his class... even when he proved them wrong that he was more than the demon they saw in him, the words still cut deep into his young mind.

"You're wrong. He's not a demon," Iruka defended, smiling. Naruto raised his chin as he heard Iruka's words.

"Come on, Iruka! You yourself know that Kyuubi was sealed inside him!" Mizuki said, frustrated.

Naruto's eyes widened once more. _'The Kyuubi? Sealed inside me? How preposterous! He was killed by the Yondaime years ago!'_ Naruto thought.

"Have you forgotten who killed your parents?! It was that kid!" Mizuki shouted.

"The Kyuubi killed them. Not Naruto. He would never do such things," Iruka said, matter-of-factly.

Naruto began thinking why Iruka was defending him. It gave him a sense of importance, security, and peace. Iruka continued his speech.

"I could never forget who killed my parents. And every time I see Naruto, I am reminded of what the Kyuubi did to them and I get mad sometimes because of it. But I could never get mad at Naruto because it wasn't his fault," Iruka said.

Mizuki stared at him.

"I know of what Naruto went through because he didn't have parents so I couldn't get mad at him. I experienced a life without no one to care for me or love me just as Naruto did. I've seen him get beaten up by villagers sometimes because of the Kyuubi," Iruka continued.

"What are you trying to say exactly? You do know I'm not listening to anything you have to say. Why try?" Mizuki asked.

"Because Naruto has nothing to do with what happened 14 years ago! I try because he's worth it!" Iruka shouted.

At this point, tears started trickling down Naruto's cheeks.

"In truth, I am proud of what he has become despite the villager's mistreatment towards him. He worked hard to prove himself to them and look at what he has achieved now. He is the best Genin of his batch and I couldn't be more proud. By becoming shinobi, I salute him. He is part of Konohagakure no Sato and his name is Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka proclaimed.

At this point, Naruto's face was drenched in tears. He didn't know how much Iruka cared for him until now. He always wondered why Iruka was the only adult aside from the Sandaime who saw him as himself and not a demon. It turned out Iruka was just like him.

But Mizuki, however, wasn't impressed.

"Whatever. I'll still kill both of you," Mizuki said.

Mizuki pulled out some kunais and prepared to hit Iruka. Naruto jumped in front of Iruka with the fake scroll. He set in on the ground vertically and glared at Mizuki.

"I won't let you hurt Iruka-sensei!" Naruto growled.

Mizuki smirked.


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 11

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto formed a hand seal never before seen by Iruka.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto proclaimed.

In a flash, thousands of shadow clones appeared in a cloud of smoke and surrounded them. Mizuki and Iruka were astonished.

"W-! How?! Impossible!" Mizuki stammered.

"Now you'll pay for this!" all the Naruto clones shouted.

All the clones including the real Naruto charged at Mizuki. The Chunnin was frozen in place. He was wondering on how Naruto managed to perform the jutsu with ease. He barely had time to react. Before he knew it, he was tackled to the ground, and attacked several times. When the clones took a step back, he was badly beaten up and was severely bleeding. All the clones disappeared the same way they had appeared. Naruto walked over to Iruka and held out his hand while smiling. Iruka took his hand while keeping his gaze on Naruto. The boy pulled him up to his feet and supported him as Iruka leaned against him. He put his sensei's arm around his shoulder and secured an arm around his middle.

"You okay, sensei?" Naruto asked.

Iruka nodded.

"How'd you do that?" Iruka asked, stunned.

"Do what? I just followed the instructions. It's no biggie," Naruto replied.

"No, I mean... no one was able to summon at least thousands of clones," Iruka said.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"A regular shinobi can only summon at least 10-20 clones only. Not thousands. It depends on the chakra capacity. It just shows you are not only the best in your batch, you are the most powerful, too. Just be careful in using it, though. It drains a lot of chakra."

"Really? Wow. I never knew."

Iruka smiled. He then remembered something. As soon as he found out, 5 ANBU came out of nowhere. They saw a beaten Mizuki and a wounded Iruka.

"What has happened here?" an ANBU with a cat mask asked.

"Naruto took down Mizuki on his own," Iruka said.

"Good job, boy. Men, take Mizuki away and get Iruka a kunoichi, he's injured," an ANBU with a dog mask said.

The ANBUs took Mizuki away. When a kunoichi took Iruka into his care, Naruto remembered something and excused himself. He went back to the tree where he hid the real scroll and took it out of his hiding place. He made the fake one disappear then he went back to Iruka and the ANBU. He held out the scroll.

"Here," he said.

The ANBU took the scroll from him.

"Thank you. You are a brave one, Naruto. I salute you," the ANBU praised.

Naruto smiled a toothy smile.

"Ossu!" he said.

The ANBU nodded then poofed away in a cloud of smoke. Naruto turned to Iruka and smiled while rubbing the back of his head.

"Thanks for protecting me from Mizuki, sensei," Naruto said.

Iruka smiled back. He pulled out Naruto's hitai-ate.

"You might forget this," Iruka said.

Naruto took it from him. "Arigato," he said.

"I hope you accomplish your dream of becoming Hokage," Iruka said.

Naruto's smile widened. He nodded his head once.

"Hai! It's a promise of a lifetime!" he said.

The next day, Naruto arrived early to find out about who will be his teammates. He hoped Sasuke and Sakura will be with him. They have grown comfortable with each other since they were small and they were an inseparable trio. Being with other kids besides them makes him uncomfortable. He's used to being with them most of the time. He knew a team composed of two boys and one girl and he hoped with all his heart he will be paired up with his best friends.

Once he arrived, he sat down in his usual chair and waited for Sasuke and Sakura to arrive. Sasuke did in five minutes. He sat beside the blond and began chatting with him. Ten minutes later, Sakura arrived and joined them. Sakura wore her hitai-ate as a headband which Naruto thought was cute on her. In a little while, all new Genins entered the room with Iruka the last to enter. He stood in front of them all.

"Kids, today is the day you will know your Genin teams. As you all know, a team must compose two boys and one girl," Iruka started.

Naruto looked at both Sasuke and Sakura and knew they were thinking the same thing he was thinking. They hoped they were paired up together.

"Let's start," Iruka said.

He began announcing the teams. The first team had Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji and their sensei is Sarutobi Asuma. The second had Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, a bug master, and Hyuuga Hinata and their sensei is Yuuhi Kurenai.

The third he called was composed of Hyuuga Neji, Hinata's cousin with a smart-ass attitude, Rock Lee, and a girl named Tenten and their sensei was Maito Gai.

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke! Your sensei will be Hatake Kakashi!" Iruka announced.

Naruto and Sakura high-fived while Sasuke just smiled. Happiness was clear in his expression. They ignored the girls who complained and whined by not having _Sasuke-kun_ in their team.

"You will meet your Jounin senseis in a while," Iruka said.

A knock was heard. Iruka opened it and saw the senseis were already outside. Naruto was filled with excitement and hope in meeting their sensei. He hoped he would be able to get stronger in their sensei's care. In thirty minutes or so, all the other Genins left with their senseis, leaving Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura alone in the room, still waiting for their sensei.

Naruto groaned aloud. "Damn it! Where is he?!" Naruto complained.

"It's been two hours!" Sakura whined.

Meanwhile, Sasuke sat there, completely calm.

"Oi, teme! How can you be so calm and collected at this time?! Don't go brooding at this time!" Naruto said.

"You just need to be patient, dobe," Sasuke replied, though inside, he was practically crying from the waiting.

Naruto pouted. Then his face lit up as though he had thought of something, which he did. He began to get a pail and fill it with chalk dust which he got from the unclean chalk ledge. He opened the door slightly and placed the pail on top of the door.

"What the hell are you doing, dobe?!" Sasuke said.

"What do you think? Punishment. You do know it's rude to make people wait," Naruto said.

Naruto jumped back to his seat, chuckling like crazy. "Naruto, he's a Jounin. There's no way he'd fall-" Sakura was cut off as a silver haired man walked into the trap, his hair now covered with chalk dust.

Naruto laughed out loud at his success while Sakura giggled slightly. Sasuke tried to hide a smirk but failed miserably.

"He fell for it! He's a Jounin and he fell for it!" Naruto teased in between laughs.

The man looked lazy. He had spiky silver hair oriented to his left-side, dark grey eyes, and typically a relaxed, heavy-lidded expression. His left eye was hidden by a hitai-ate. This, combined with the mask he used to cover the lower half of his face, prevents most of his face from being visible. He wears Konoha's standard infantry clothing: a flak jacket, dark blue pants, and a long-sleeve shirt. He also wore finger-less gloves with metal plates on the backhand. He also had a small orange book in his hand. He dusted himself off, put the pocket book in his weapon holster, and looked lazily at the trio. He was the epitome of laziness. He even spoke in a lazy tone.

"My first impression on you three is... you're all idiots," the man said.

The three looked at him in disbelief.

"Meet me on the roof in two minutes," he said then poofed away in a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke glared at Naruto.

"Nice going, dobe," Sasuke said.

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Sakura only giggled.


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 12

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

The trio arrived on the roof to find their lazy sensei waiting for them, reading his book again. He glanced at them and setting aside his book, motioned for them to sit. They did without hesitation.

"Okay. Let's start. You will introduce yourselves, and tell us your likes and dislikes, and your dream. That kind of stuff," the man said.

"How 'bout you start, sensei? To give us the idea about how we do it," Sakura suggested.

"Me? Oh, well," the man said then cleared his throat.

The three gazed at him intently.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have a few likes and some dislikes. And I have no dream," the man said.

 _'Well, that wasn't very helpful,'_ Naruto inwardly thought.

Kakashi pointed a finger to Naruto.

"You. Blondie. You go first," Kakashi said.

Naruto sighed, irritated at the nickname given to him.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto. My likes are ramen and pulling pranks every once in a while. I dislike, no, hate jerks and waiting 3 minutes after the hot water is poured in the ramen. I have a lot of dreams but my greatest dream is to become Hokage!" Naruto said.

 _'A perfect mix of his parents, I see: his mother's personality and his father's looks and intelligence,'_ Kakashi thought.

He pointed to Sakura.

"Pinkie. You next," he said.

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the nickname but chose to set it aside.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I have a few dislikes and I like a certain someone. And my dream is to be with that someone," Sakura said, blushing when it came to the part where she told them she liked someone.

 _'She's weak when she will let her feelings take over, I suppose, but if I can make it into an advantage...'_ Kakashi trailed off.

 _'Sakura-chan has a crush?! I wonder who might that be,'_ Naruto thought.

He pointed to Sasuke.

"The emo next," Kakashi said.

Sasuke kept his calm then spoke. "I am Uchiha Sasuke. I suppose I can be referred to as an avenger. I have almost no likes and a lot of dislikes and I have a dream. Rather, a goal. And it is to kill a certain someone," Sasuke said.

 _'Cold words from a boy. Well... what to expect from the last of your clan,'_ Kakashi thought.

Kakashi nodded.

"I hope we can get along together. Meet me in Training Ground #7 for your first training session early in the morning tomorrow. And no breakfast or I'll kill you all," Kakashi said.

He stood up and said goodbye, leaving the three in a heap of confusion.

"No breakfast? How the hell are we supposed to train well without breakfast?!" Sakura complained.

"It's best to eat breakfast. He won't know anyway," Naruto said.

"Hn. Whatever. I'm off. See you guys tomorrow," Sasuke said.

They separated and went to their respective homes to prepare for tomorrow.

* * *

The three arrived early in Training Ground #7 and waited for their sensei. As you may have already guessed, they ignored their sensei's order and ate breakfast. They're not gonna go down without a fight and they think it's just fair that they should be ready and energized to take down a Jounin. They were sitting under a sakura tree, waiting for their sensei who was at least an hour late. Sasuke leaned on the tree with his eyes closed, legs and arms crossed. Sakura was beside him, her legs bent towards her chest, her arms kept them place, and her head rested in between knees. Naruto was in front of them, laying on the grass, his hands behind his head, supporting it. His eyes were watching the beautiful pink petals of the sakura tree as they sway with the wind. Though his figure was calm and rested, his mind was practically screaming in frustration. He took a deep breath.

"Where the hell is Kakashi-sensei? Why does he always have to be so late?! We've been her for at least an hour!" Naruto groaned.

Though it wasn't obvious, Sasuke and Sakura agreed with him because they had more patience than their hot-headed, blond teammate. Thirty minutes later, Kakashi appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Hey. Sorry for being late. I got lost in the road of life," Kakashi reasoned.

They all turned to glare at him.

"That's a lame excuse," Naruto said.

"Anyway, today, I will be teaching you something important but you will know it after the test," Kakashi explained, ignoring Naruto deliberately.

"What test, sensei?" Sakura asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Kakashi said.

He pulled out two bells and held them in front of his masked face. "It's called 'The Bell Test'. It's to test your skills and strategy. The objective is that you try and take them from me before noon and you get to eat lunch," Kakashi explained.

"But, sensei, there are only two bells. How are we all supposed to pass?" Naruto asked.

"That's the catch. Only two will pass and the third will return to the academy and retake a year," Kakashi said.

They all tensed by that.

"Feel free to use your shurikens and kunais. Even if you have to kill me just to get the bells, do it. Don't hold back on me," Kakashi further explained.

 _'Two bells?! What are we going to do?'_ Sakura thought frantically.

"Now when I count to three, you will start," Kakashi said.

He walked for a few meters away from them. He tied the bells to his belt.

"Ready..." Kakashi started.

Naruto slowly pulled out a kunai from his holster.

"One..." Kakashi counted.

Naruto rotates the kunai in his hold.

"Two..." Kakashi continued.

Naruto held the kunai firmly in his grasp and held it above his head. He was about to throw it when Kakashi appeared behind him and held his arm in place.

"My, my. Be patient. I haven't even said 'three' yet. You ought to learn how to count," Kakashi said.

Naruto growled in response and removed his arm from Kakashi's grip.

"Now, the first thing I'm going to teach you is how to hide properly. Make sure you are well hidden from your opponent. Use a jutsu if you must," Kakashi said.

The three instantly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Kakashi calmly looked around in search for them.

"Well... they sure understood," Kakashi commented.

A few meters away from him, the three hid separately. Sakura hid under a bush, Sasuke hid a few meters away from her and hid behind a tree. Naruto was the nearest to Kakashi, hiding on a tree branch of the tallest tree. Naruto began formulating a plan on how to get the bells. He wasn't going to get back to the academy. But he thought of Sasuke and Sakura, too. He wasn't going to let them go back to the academy.

 _'Damn it! What am I supposed to do?! I can't let Sasuke and Sakura go back to the academy but I don't want to go back, too!'_ Naruto frantically thought.

This was a test to challenge them but he feels as if there is something off about it. They were supposed to learn something, right? But how will they find out? The when part is simple, he said they ought to figure it out after the test. But what if what they're supposed to learn should be applied to this test? What should they do then?

He saw Sasuke and Sakura in a distance and saw the same confused look in both their faces.

 _'They must've been thinking the same thing. This is difficult. And I can't take him on myself... oh... wait a second... does he underestimate us so much?!'_ he thought, realization apparent in his features. He had definitely figured it out. He knew what to do now. And he had to let Sakura and Sasuke know as well because Sasuke had a plan already cooking inside his strategic mind. He decided to call Sakura over as she was closer to him than Sasuke. He waved frantically at her to call her attention. He made sure only Sakura saw him, though, because even when Kakashi was preoccupied reading his little orange book, his body was tense. He had kept his guard up and was being cautious to everything around him. Naruto knew he was waiting for even the slightest of winks to reveal their whereabouts and strategies.

A few meters away, Sakura herself was thinking about what to do.

 _'Why does this have to be so confusing? I want to pass but at the same time, I also want to be with Naruto and Sasuke,'_ she thought.

She saw Naruto on her right and Sasuke on her left. Sasuke had a calculating, concentrating look on his face which told her he's trying to think of a strategy. But there was something in his eyes as well. It had a little remorse. Was he thinking of abandoning them? She shook her head. No, Sasuke was past that already. He wouldn't betray them. He wouldn't think of himself. He'd matured since the first time they met. There was still the brooding, emo personality but he'd matured. He acquired compassion, understanding, care, and selflessness through the years he'd spent with Naruto.

She smiled at that. Naruto brought out the best in everyone. She, herself, had matured since she first met him. At that time, she hated her huge forehead. And Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru were the only ones who accepted it. The others bullied her for her forehead. Sure, at first, Ino used to tease her about it as well, but she protected her from those bullies and gave her a bit of security in her friends' care. With Naruto, he not only made her feel secure. She understood that she didn't need to listen to anyone's insults as long as she knew herself and her friends accepted her and her flaws as well. And in his company, she learned to appreciate her huge forehead. He had told her it was cute. And that was the best thing anyone had said to her. In time, not only did she appreciate her huge forehead, she learned to love it. She loved it because it completed her. It was part of her and she learned to accept it along with her flaws.

Naruto became a major part of her life then along with Sasuke. They were her best friends. Naruto was her personal bodyguard, anchor, motivation, inspiration, and light as Sasuke was her brother, life mentor, and protector. And most of all, they were loves of her life. She loved Sasuke as a big brother. Sure, she thought he was handsome, intelligent, strong, and mysterious, but she found him quite lacking. She doesn't feel like a _female_ in his presence- she was his sister as he was her brother. They only shared sibling, genderless love.

Naruto, however, was different. She's not sure if it was genuine or hormonal, but she knew, in a way, that she loved him. But does she love him as a brother or as a lover? She wasn't sure. Though she felt like Naruto was like a brother to her, she doesn't feel genderless with him. She felt... pretty, appreciated, and attractive. And he's a _male_ to her. What does it have to do with love? She didn't know yet. All she knows is that she harbors a crush for him- a growing, mind-numbing, breathtaking, eye-opening, roaring, dizzying, and heartwarming, massive crush.

She was snapped out of her reverie by Naruto waving at her. She looked at him with a confused expression because he had a grin on his face. He continued waving at her and also did some gestures and symbols. It took her a while to figure out that the waving meant that he was calling her. And it didn't take long until she understood that he knew what to do. This surprised her but she felt that is wasn't unexpected. Of course he'd figure it out. He was the smartest in their batch. She checked on Kakashi if he was looking but he was too busy reading his little orange book to notice their interaction.

Without further preamble, she disappeared from her hiding place and reappeared at Naruto's side.


	13. Chapter 13

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 13

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Sakura teleported to where Naruto was sitting. "Hey, Naruto," she whispered.

"Hey," he whispered back.

"I knew you've figured it out already. What is it?"

"He first said that we were going to learn something after the test. But what if we need that lesson in this test? Then there are only two bells. Two gets to stay on the team but one should return to the academy. It might have been impossible but it's not unheard of. You should have done a serious offence for them to ship you off to the academy. I know because I read the rulebook. So he wants to break us up, fight him one-on-one to get the bells. But he's a Jounin so it's impossible to defeat him. Then I realized he had a weakness."

"What?"

"We have each other, he's alone. We have an advantage because he's outnumbered."

Sakura's eyes widened as she processed the information. "That's it? Teamwork?! It's that simple?!"

"Well, if you try taking down a Jounin with a team then it's that simple."

"But what if we were able to get the bells? What's going happen to us?" she asked.

"Hopefully, none of us goes back to the academy," he said.

Sakura nodded.

"We need to get to Sasuke. Knowing him, he might rush in there by himself and try to get the bells," Naruto said.

They nodded to each other and teleported to where Sasuke was hiding. The Uchiha jumped in surprise.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?! You're going to get us in trouble!" Sasuke silently screamed.

"Sasuke, Naruto figured it all out," Sakura said.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow then sighed. "Alright. Explain," Sasuke said.

Naruto did. Once he was done, Sasuke seemed to get it and was impressed. "How could I not have known that? It seemed easy," Sasuke complained.

"Now all we need to do is try to formulate a plan!" Naruto said.

They walked away from that area to avoid eavesdropping and began planning.

"So that's it. Sakura will be the diversion and will lure him towards our hiding place where we will ambush him. You shouldn't hold back on him, okay, Sakura? Or he'll figure out our plan. If you manage to lure him in the clearing, Sasuke and I will handle things from there. Sound good?" Naruto said.

"As good as a plan will ever be," Sasuke stated.

"Alright. Let's go!" Naruto said.

They split up and Naruto and Sasuke positioned themselves separately in a clearing. Sakura, on the other hand, went looking for Kakashi whom they didn't realize was gone. She walked a few meters from them and began searching Kakashi in every tree and bush. She even considered calling for him. She reached the area where they last gathered: Sasuke's hiding place.

Just then, some leaves began flying through the air even though the sun was hot as a summer's day and no breeze or wind passed by the training field. She was surrounded by the pile of leaves and they flew skyward as if a leafy tornado was sucking her in. In a few minutes, the leaves fell all around her and she looked around if she could spot the Jounin. She heard the sounds of sandals walking through the leaves and saw Sasuke badly beaten and bruised. He had lacerations and broken limbs in every corner of his pallid body. His face was bloodied and his hair was caked with blood. He looked on the verge of death.

"S-Sakura... help me. Please," Sasuke pleaded, coughing up a handful of blood.

Something was wrong. This wasn't Sasuke, she knew. He was with Naruto in the clearing, alive and well. Then she realized that this Sasuke was only a Henge and the fact that it wasn't the season for falling leaves yet. She clapped her hands together in a seal and uttered firmly, "Kai." In an instant, Sasuke disappeared and in his place was the very Jounin she was looking for. Kakashi had a shocked expression on his face but it was hidden under his mask.

"You may be thinking right now on how I figured out your trick," Sakura guessed.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I was assuming you liked that Uchiha boy when you said you liked someone. Perhaps, I was mistaken and underestimated you," Kakashi said.

"Badly. I do love him but only as a brother. He lacks the qualities I want in a boy," Sakura explained.

Kakashi nodded. "So, I see. Perhaps, it's that blondie, yes?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura blushed a pink hue but didn't deny or affirm the claim. "Alright. Let's get serious for once, sensei," she said, forming a fighting stance.

Kakashi smiled from under his mask and nodded. Sakura charged first towards Kakashi, the plan in her mind. She attacked first with a miss on purpose. She allowed Kakashi to attack her and she blocked or dodged to avoid getting hit.

 _'She's not bad, I'll give her that,'_ Kakashi thought.

She began to back up as Kakashi moved forward. The clearing where Naruto and Sasuke are waiting is fast approaching and there are only approximately 30-40 minutes left before they all fail and go back to the academy. She promised that she wouldn't fail. _They_ won't fail.

In a rapid change of events, she went on the offensive. Following Naruto's advice, she didn't hold back. She became a formidable opponent for the Jounin. She charged and charged until...

 _'Almost there!'_ she thought.

At last, she was in the middle of their ambush zone where Naruto had summoned at least twenty clones after she left. Naruto saw her battling with Kakashi and was impressed by her Taijutsu. She began to take matters seriously as she doubled her efforts, not holding back, and charged on Kakashi. They were both parrying, Kakashi obviously taking it easy on her. She landed a few small blows here and there while Kakashi kept blocking, dodging, and parrying.

"Looked like our roles have been switched, eh, sensei?" Sakura taunted half-heartedly. Kakashi smiled a little as he kept his guard up. He was expecting that she'll have some secret attack for him. What he didn't expect is that they've figured out the point of the test.

Naruto nodded to Sasuke who was a few meters on front of him on a same level of branch as his. Sasuke nodded back. They jumped from their hideouts and the clones followed, heading straight for Kakashi. Kakashi was impressed and shocked at the same time.

 _'I might've underestimated them a bit. Especially the blondie. He's just like his father in his age,'_ Kakashi thought.

Sakura jumped back to join Naruto and Sasuke while the clones threw kunais and shurikens towards Kakashi. Kakashi, of course, was occupied and didn't notice the three approaching him. When they reached him, the clones dispersed, leaving the three to attack Kakashi. Naruto kept him occupied while Sasuke and Sakura were trying to grab the bells without getting hit. For a few more minutes, they were still fighting each other when Naruto grabbed a kunai, ducked, and cut the bells out of his belt. He grabbed the bells, and together with his teammates, jumped back.

They were all panting and sweating. Kakashi noticed that is was already noon and when he palmed the side of his belt, the bells were missing. He discreetly smiled at them.

"Looks like you all passed. Enlighten me, how did you do it?" Kakashi said.

"Easy. The whole point of your test is teamwork. It was impossible trying to take down a Jounin alone so we went for your weakness: you were outnumbered, one on three," Naruto said.

Kakashi smiled. "Correct. I want you to remember what a teammate once told me. He said that one who breaks the rules is considered scum but if one leaves behind a friend is worse than scum. It is important to improve your physical abilities but teamwork is always an advantage in battles. If you combine your strengths, you pose a threat," Kakashi explained.

The three of them nodded, understanding the lesson he imparted on them. It wasn't as if they already understood it, they just learned to appreciate it.

"You know, you were the first team to understand the importance of teamwork," Kakashi proclaimed.

"Really?!" Sakura asked.

"Yes, the other teams tried to attack their sensei individually. I'm glad you were a team; you already built your friendship during the academy. You're familiar to teamwork already. Now all we need to do is improve your individual skills," Kakashi said.

The three praised each other for their accomplishment. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's and Sakura's shoulders, laughing in delight. Sasuke and Sakura joined him in his mirth.

"Okay. Now that we're done, let's go get ramen for your success," Kakashi said.

Naruto's ears perked up as soon as he heard that word. He jumped and extended his hands toward the sky.

"Ramen!" Naruto cheered and ran away.

Kakashi stood, confused, while Sasuke and Sakura chuckled at his love for ramen.

Sakura stared adoringly at his retreating form.


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 14

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

The three followed after Naruto to Ichiraku's Ramen House. The boy was already seated and was really excited when he saw them approaching.

"Hey, guys! Sakura-chan, do you want to sit here next to me?" Naruto offered, patting the seat next to his.

Sakura blushed and looked away so Naruto wouldn't notice.

"Okay," she agreed softly. She sat beside Naruto and the other two went to sit beside each other and Sakura.

"Konichiwa, Teuchi-san, Ayame-san," Kakashi said to an old man and a young woman who were stirring noodles in a huge pot directly in front of him.

"Konichiwa, Kakashi-san. What brings you here?" the ramen stand owner named Teuchi asked with a grin on his face. Teuchi was a very kind and jovial man. Often seen smiling, he and his daughter, Ayame, have always treated Uzumaki Naruto well, considering him their best customer, sometimes even giving him free ramen on special occasions. He also cares for Naruto as he often asks Naruto if what was going on if he hasn't seen him in a while.

Nevertheless, he is a stern businessman and will lash out at his employees when they make mistakes such as sticking their thumb in a bowl of ramen. He has also been described as stubborn, obstinate, and having the temperament of a craftsman.

"Konichiwa, Kakashi-san," The young woman by the name of Ayame greeted kindly. Ayame was a slender girl with long, dark brown hair and large black eyes, plus fair skin. She wears a white robe with the sleeves folded, a sort of dark blue apron with ribbon ties at the top and a bright white bandanna. Ayame was a kind and cheerful young woman. She and her father seem to be some of the few Konoha villagers that do not see Naruto in a hostile light and consider him their favorite regular customer. She was a hard-working woman, always doing her best to serve Naruto with ramen.

"I was just taking my team here for lunch here. By the way, this is my team-" Kakashi started before he was cut off by Teuchi.

"Ahh... Sakura-chan, Sasuke-kun, and Naruto-kun! I see you became a team! Congratulations! Good for you! I knew you'd make it."

Kakashi looked back and forth at them in confusion. Teuchi noticed and decided to satisfy his curiosity. "We've known them for a few years, Kakashi-san. Naruto's my best customer and he brings these two along whenever he can."

Kakashi nodded. "Ahh, I see."

"Alright. What would you like to order, Kakashi?"

"I think I'll have the jin ramen. How 'bout you three?"

He turned his team.

"I'll have the miso ramen," Sasuke said.

"I'll go for that, too," Sakura said

"I'll have the usual, old man!" Naruto said.

"Coming right up!" Teuchi said then disappeared into the kitchen with Ayame behind him. A few minutes later, Ayame emerged from the kitchen, carrying bowls of steaming hot ramen. She set it down in front of them.

"Enjoy!" she said.

"Arigato, Ayame-san!" Naruto said gratefully, grinning widely.

"No problem, Naruto-kun."

"Itadakimasu!" they said.

Naruto began to gulp down his ramen while the others took their time chewing and swallowing like normal people.

"This is your treat, right, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Er... yes?" Kakashi said.

"Alright! Arigato, sensei!" Naruto cheered as he continued to chow down his ramen.

He was finished in less than a minute and was on his second bowl of ramen. Kakashi began to sweatdrop on how fast Naruto was eating. In five minutes, he was already on his fifth bowl of ramen.

"S-Slow down there, Naruto," Kakashi said.

"Don't think I can bring myself to do it, sensei! Old man Teuchi's ramen is the best!" Naruto cheered.

Kakashi deadpanned.

"Why, arigato, Naruto-kun!" Teuchi said, his voice heard all the way from the kitchen.

"No probs!" Naruto said, giving him a thumbs up and continued slurping his ramen.

"There's nothing you can do when it comes to Naruto and ramen, sensei. He's almost always eating ramen especially here," Sasuke said, lazily eating his ramen.

"Figures. This is going to cost me a fortune," Kakashi said, shaking his head.

Naruto slurped his ramen and finished his fifth bowl when something came up in his mind.

"Ne, sensei. Why are you wearing a mask?" Naruto asked Kakashi.

"Why do you ask?" Kakashi asked.

"Just curious, that's all," Naruto said.

"I just happen to like wearing it. To tell you the truth, I have worn this mask since I was a kid," Kakashi said.

"Really?!" Sakura and Naruto exclaimed.

"No one has ever seen my face, except for my mom and dad, of course," Kakashi calmly replied.

"Do you ever take it off?" Sasuke asked.

"No. I have grown fond of it and could not seem to take it from my face," Kakashi said.

The three stared at him like he was mentally impaired.

"How 'bout your left eye, sensei? Why do you cover it with you hitai-ate?" Sakura asked.

"You ask too many questions. You'll know when the time comes. For now, just finish your ramen," Kakashi said.

They did. Naruto ate ten bowls while the rest only had one serving. Kakashi paid for the food and thanked Teuchi.

"Come again!" Teuchi said as he waved at them from afar.

Kakashi turned to his team.

"Meet me in the bridge tomorrow for a meeting. Don't be late," Kakashi said then disappeared.

The three said their goodbyes then separated ways. Naruto had just arrived in his apartment when he decided to visit the old man. The Sandaime, if you please. He wore a black shirt and orange pants and left his hitai-ate at home, figuring he didn't need it. He walked towards the Hokage's office, ignoring the glares and stares from the villagers.

 _'Can't they get a life?!'_ Naruto thought, irritated.

He arrived at the Sandaime's office and walked in without knocking.

"Hey, old man! Long time no see!" Naruto greeted with a grin.

The current Hokage looked up from his papers and smiled as well. "Why, hello, Naruto-kun. What brings you here?" Hiruzen asked.

"I just wanted to get info about the Genins and other kids that will participate in the Chunnin Exams," Naruto said.

"For what purpose?" Hiruzen asked, surprised at Naruto's request.

"For intel. I want the list of Genins who will be participating on the Chunnin exams from the participating villages. By the time the Chunnin Exams come, I want to be prepared so that I can handle anything they can throw at me. And in the process, expect the unexpected. Where will it be held, by the way? So that I may prepare myself for the weather and such of the village as well," Naruto casually said.

"It will be held here. But the Chunnin Exams are still months away, my boy. Why in such a rush?"

"Training purposes, advanced research, and for future information."

"I'm glad you want to be very well prepared for the Chunnin Exams. I'm impressed. You even got the Top 1 spot in your class. You have made me very proud, Naruto. "

"Arigato, Hiruzen-sama. I promise to do even better in the Chunnin Exams if ever the time arrives."

"Alright. I know you know that Genins can acquire information for the Chunnin exams for training purposes. I tell you, it's not forbidden but some adults think that it's like taking the easy way out- that it's cheating. That's why Genin rarely ask for the information. So be warned, the information must be kept personal. I need you to promise me that you won't go around sharing the information. I would think that's a rather selfless thing to do but you and I very well know that most of the villagers here don't take you kindly. Don't give them a reason to be more cross with you.

"I can only do so much to protect you but my duty is to bring satisfaction for my people. I know you understand that. I won't be able to pull any strings if they decide to get rid of you. I won't be able to stop them from getting rid of you permanently even if I get cast out because I tried to protect you. And I don't even want to think about casting you out of my village. Do you understand what I'm implying to you, Naruto?" the Sandaime said with utmost seriousness.

Naruto nodded solemnly. "I understand very well, Hokage-sama. I wouldn't want to be the cause of the villagers' contradiction to you. I will do my best to stay out of their way and at the same time, serve them and try to gain their trust. I promise not to disclose the information to anyone but I want your permission on disclosing this to my closest friends."

The Sandaime nodded. "Alright. I grant you permission to share the information you will acquire to Sasuke and Sakura. Give me a day, then. I will have my assistant give you the copies of the information you are searching for. "

"I understand. I just want to know about their abilities, their elements, and their special techniques or something that has to do with their combat skills. That's all."

"Very well. I will send a messenger to deliver it to you by tomorrow."

"Arigato."

"Now, do you have anything else in mind?"

"Hai. I want to know more about my current sensei, Hatake Kakashi."

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"No. It's just that I want to know about what he hides behind the mask and about his left eye."

"Oh, well... I guess you will have to find out for yourself, my boy. There are just things that you might want to discover on your own."

"I understand."

"How are you faring with your team, by the way? Is Kakashi being difficult?"

"No, actually, on the first day of training, we were able to learn something very important. He taught us the importance of teamwork. Even against the strongest of enemies, we were able to be at par with him because we had something that he didn't have: each other. Then he told us something his teammate once told him: one who breaks the rules is considered scum but if one leaves behind a friend is worse than scum. It taught me the value my friends. I made a promise to myself right then that I would do everything to keep us together- even if it meant sacrificing my life."

Hiruzen smiled at him with pride. "I am glad to hear that, Naruto. I wish you will keep that lesson in mind until the future; it will turn you into a great man. You wish to be Hokage, am I correct to assume?"

Naruto grinned widely. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I want to be acknowledged by the villagers and do anything in my power to help them."

Hiruzen nodded. "I am sure you will be a great Hokage one day, Naruto. Now, if you'll excuse an old man, I have a heap of papers to sign. One of the curses of being Hokage, as you can see. You are dismissed."

Naruto bowed respectively and turned for the door. He went out and gently closed the door. He headed to the training grounds to train. The Sandaime stood up from his chair and looked out the window. His eyes ventured on the mountain to the faces of the previous Hokage, then landed on the carved face of Namikaze Minato, the fourth Hokage. He smiled serenely.

"This boy of yours truly is something, Minato. I am sure you are as proud at him as I am, Kushina," Hiruzen said. He then sighed and shook his head. "If only you are here for him, though, Kushina, Minato," he said as he looked down at the villagers staring at Naruto.

He sat back in his chair and continued signing the paperwork his assistant left him. While signing, he began to curse under his breath. "Damn you, Minato. Leaving me here to deal with your paperwork," he grumbled.


	15. Chapter 15

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 15

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto woke up early and did his daily morning routine. After that, he began to head towards the bridge where Kakashi said they will meet. He leaned on the edge and crossed his arms, waiting for his teammates. He was thinking to himself about who might Sakura's crush be. _'I wonder if it's Sasuke or anyone in our class,'_ he thought.

He kept pondering about who might be the lucky guy that he didn't notice Sasuke arrive. The guy had to snap his fingers to get Naruto's attention.

"Hey. Is the dobe in there?" Sasuke sneered.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and turned to face Sasuke. "Oh, Sasuke. Didn't see ya there," Naruto said, rubbing his neck.

Sasuke leaned on the bridge beside Naruto. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Just thinking,"

"Thinking? About what?"

Naruto sighed. "You remember yesterday when Sakura said she likes someone?" Naruto asked.

"Oh... Sakura. You're thinking about who it might be, am I right?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah. I mean... I haven't even noticed her act different with someone or even stare at someone for long periods of time," Naruto said.

"You can be oblivious sometimes, you know?" Sasuke said, rubbing his forehead.

"Wait. You know who it is?!"

"Obviously."

"Who?! Tell me who! Is it you? Shikamaru? No, Lee!"

"Woah, woah, woah. Calm down, you dobe! You know, why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Nah... you know how I act when I get serious around her, ya know? Besides, I'm not even sure she's gonna tell me. Come on, Sasuke. Just tell me."

"To tell you the truth, I'm not in the place to tell you who she likes. Only Sakura can share that information with you."

Naruto sighed. "I guess..." he said.

Sasuke stood in silence while Naruto stared at the water under the bridge. Sasuke began to think about something that haunted him for so long.

"Ne, Naruto," he said.

"Yeah?" the blond asked, facing him.

"Do _you_ have a crush on Sakura?"

"Nani?! N-No!" Naruto denied, blushing.

"Don't deny it. I can sense your feelings for her. I can see it in your actions."

"That obvious, huh?"

"Yup."

"Well, yes."

"Since when?"

"Since the first time I saw her."

"What is it about her that got your attention? All I can see about her is her huge forehead. No wonder when I first met her Ino calls her forehead."

"I find her forehead cute. And not only her forehead. I also like her long, pink hair, her emerald green eyes, her sincere smiles... basically, I like everything about her."

"You know, you have had a crush on Sakura since we were six but why haven't you told her about your feelings yet? We're already fourteen. Do you think it's about time she knows?"

"I figured I had to find the right time. I don't wanna rush things, ya know? I'm still planning about how I will get her to be alone with me so that I could confess."

"For once, what you learned in the academy won't help you with the affairs of the heart."

"Wow. Since when did you become a poet?"

"It came to mind."

"Yeah, right. That's coming from someone who runs away from girls. Seriously, are you gay?"

"No way! I only find girls annoying, that's all."

Naruto laughed.

"Ha ha ha, very funny, Naruto," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes at him.

The boys stood there, silent and minding their own businesses until Sakura arrived and broke the silence.

"Ohayo, Naruto, Sasuke. How long have you guys been here?" Sakura said.

"Not long," Naruto said.

Sakura shrugged and leaned on the railing beside Naruto. "Sensei's late again, is he?" Sakura asked.

"Yup. When he gets here I'm gonna beat him sore so that he will never have the guts to get late again," Naruto said between clenched teeth.

"Don't be so harsh on the guy. I'm sure he has a _good_ reason this time," Sakura said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Naruto groaned and crossed his arms. Sakura just giggled at his antics. Sasuke was spacing out while they were chatting. He was thinking about the usual thoughts which were on how he could get stronger. He never really paid much attention to Naruto and Sakura. But he can feel the aura they are emitting. Both had the passion and love for each other but neither had the courage to tell their feelings to the other. He found it annoying that they are oblivious to each other's feelings. He never understood the depth of their feelings for each other but even he was hesitant to admit that it could possibly be love. After all, they were still rather young and the fact that he lost his whole clan at a very tender age made him forget about what that feeling should be like. Shaking his head, he started a conversation with them about what to expect as Genins.

About an hour later, Kakashi arrived, reading his little orange book.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Naruto demanded.

"Gomen. I had to help an old lady on the way," Kakashi said lamely.

"What a lame excuse. You've been reading that little orange book of yours, haven't you?" Sakura said.

"Seriously, what is in that book that makes it so important, anyway?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi froze. He looked up from his book and stared them down. "You'll know when you're bigger," Kakashi said.

"We're already big enough. Why not now?" Naruto said, thoroughly confused.

"It's inappropriate for minors like you," Kakashi said calmly.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at him accusingly and at the little book peeking out from his pouch with recognition. Sakura merely shook her head in confusion.

"Anyway, today, we will have our first mission which will be briefed by the Hokage. We will be heading to the Hokage tower now," Kakashi said.

Naruto enthusiastically shouted 'Alright!' while Sasuke and Sakura just smiled at the announcement. They smiled at each other before focusing their attention towards their sensei.

"I'm glad you are all enthusiastic about this. Now, why don't we head to the Hokage tower to get started now?" Kakashi encouraged.

"Hai!" the three shouted in unison.

They all made their way to the Hokage's office. Kakashi knocked on the door and heard a faint 'Come in!' Kakashi opened the door and entered first followed by Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. The Sandaime had already noticed their presence when they've been at his doorstep and calmly- almost lazily- looked up from the scroll that he was reading.

"Good day, Team 7. Am I right to assume that you're here for your first mission?" Hiruzen asked warmly with a twinkle in his eye.


	16. Chapter 16

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 16

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

"Hell right we are!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto..." Kakashi reprimanded.

"No, it's okay, Kakashi. Naruto and I have known each other since he was a child. I have grown accustomed to his antics, I assure you," Hiruzen reassured him.

"Oh... okay," Kakashi said, stunned. Sasuke and Sakura glanced at their best friend with a newfound respect.

' _Naruto's close to the Sandaime? What has he been doing when we're not around?'_ Sakura thought, surprised at the revelation.

 _'I can't even imagine Naruto being close to any shinobi higher than the rank of Chunnin. And yet he and the Hokage are close? He is so unpredictable,'_ Sasuke thought.

 _'I can't believe Naruto is close to the Hokage. I look forward to knowing more about him,'_ Kakashi thought.

"Okay. Enough chitchat. I have here a list of things of what I need you to find today. If you complete this task early, you will have your second mission, pronto," Hiruzen started.

He handed a scroll to Kakashi who accepted it.

"It's a D-rank mission. Genins are limited to D-rank missions only. Once the 3 of you become Chunnin, you will take C to B-rank missions. Once a Jounin, you begin to take A to S-rank missions," Hiruzen explained further.

Kakashi read the scroll and examined its contents. "That's all that I want to say. Do you have any questions?" Hiruzen said. He was met with silence.

"Alright. You are dismissed." And with that, he waved his hand, indicating they are dismissed.

They all bowed, surprisingly, even Naruto, and left the room. Kakashi walked out the tower with his team trailing behind him.

"So, what do we need to find, sensei?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence that surrounded them.

"It says here that you need to acquire some things. One, you need to find a brown basket; two, you need to buy a pair of earrings, the money is here; three, and probably the hardest to find or catch, a white, brown-eyed cat. It's probably wandering in the village, it's been lost for a few days now and her owner is getting restless. And you need to do this without my help," Kakashi said, reading the contents of the scroll.

"Okay. Seems pretty easy," Naruto said.

Kakashi handed the scroll to Naruto. "I'll be waiting in the Hokage's office if you are done," Kakashi said then headed towards the office again.

"Okay. How 'bout we split up and find these things separately. I will find the white cat, Sakura will find the basket, and Sasuke will buy those earrings- here is the money. If one of us is done with the assigned items, we should help the others. Understood?" Naruto said.

"Ossu!" Sasuke and Sakura said in unison.

"Good. Let's go!" Naruto said and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke and Sakura went their separate ways to find the designated items.

Naruto jumped on the rooftops to find the huge cat he was supposed to find. A few seconds later, he found his target a few roofs away from him and formulated a plan to surprise it.

He threw a kunai towards it and it dodged to the right. Naruto threw a kunai to the right and the cat jumped left. He continued his actions until the cat was trapped in a closed alley. He summoned three shadow clones to surround it as well as he jumped a few feet from the cat. He approached it slowly so as not to startle it, he held his hands up to show he meant no harm. The cat tilted its head at him and mewled. Naruto smiled a little. He dispelled his clones and gathered his weapons, putting them back to his holster.

"Hey, little guy. You've been lost for quite a while, right? I'm here to return you to your owner," he said, holding out his arms a little. At once, the sat purred at him and approached him, rubbing its body on his leg. He smiled wider and decided to pick it up.

"You're kinda cute," he said and the cat purred again.

He carried the cat as he set off to find his teammates. They met at the Hokage tower after a few minutes.

"Did you find the items?" Naruto asked.

The two nodded. Sasuke pulled out a small pouch that held the pair of earrings while Sakura held out the basket she was holding.

"Good job, guys," Naruto said, grinning at them and absentmindedly rubbing the cat's head. Sasuke smiled at the sight as the cat leaned in closer to his touch.

No one took notice of the envious, menacing look Sakura gave to the oblivious, happily purring cat.

The trio entered the room. They found the Hokage sitting on his desk with Kakashi leaning on the wall beside him and a fat lady with fancy garments sitting in front of him.

"Why, hello again, Team 7. I suppose you have brought us the items you were required to retrieve?" Hiruzen said.

"Hai," Naruto said, giving him a wide grin.

"Oh, and by the way, this lady here, Naka Kanami, is the owner of the items you retrieved. Kanami-san, this is Team 7. Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura," Hiruzen introduced them formally.

"Konichiwa!" Kanami said, her eyes studying them then landed on Naruto and looked at him with contempt. She was looking at Naruto rather intensely which made the latter nervous but he held his ground.

The cat jumped from Naruto's arms and ran to the Kanami. The lady took it in her arms, hugging it. "Oh, Yui-kun, where have you been?!" Kanami scolded her cat.

Sasuke approached her and handed her the earrings. "I guess this is yours as well," Sasuke said.

Kanami turned to Sasuke and smiled at him. "Arigato," she said while wearing her earrings.

Sakura approached her and handed her the basket. Kanami smiled at her gratefully. "Arigato, Team 7. I want to give you something in return for finding these things for me," Kanami offered.

"Nah, no need. We're just happy to have helped," Naruto said, smiling.

Kanami quickly acknowledged the blond boy with whiskered-cheeks. "Aren't you that kid? The outcast?" Kanami asked with a serious look on her features.

Naruto nodded slowly and kept a straight facade. Sakura noticed this as she stepped closer to him and took hold of his arm, squeezing it in comfort. Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped forward, covering Naruto's form a little. Kakashi and Hiruzen glanced at each other with worry. This wasn't looking good. However, Kanami's features softened and she nodded in approval at Naruto rendered all the other people in the room confused.

"I guess I was quick to judge. You're not so bad after all," Kanami said.

Naruto smiled at her. "Thanks for the compliment," he said, acknowledging her sort-of apology.

Kanami smiled back. "Well... I must be going then. Arigato, Hokage-sama, Kakashi-san, Team 7," Kanami said.

Kanami exited the room, leaving them with a relieved Sasuke and Sakura.

' _That actually went well. What a relief, at least she was quick to accept,'_ Sasuke thought. He went back to his original position beside his best friend. Sakura, however, didn't let go of his arm. Sasuke only raised a brow at this and decided to ignore it. Even though Naruto had no need to be comforted now, he was certain it was Sakura who needed the comfort more.

It seemed even Hiruzen and Kakashi have been speechless by that lady's proclamation. As far as Kakashi knows, Naruto is rendered sort-of-famous due to the fact that the Kyuubi was sealed inside him and thus, is the reason he is being avoided. The villagers and even shinobi blame Naruto for the Kyuubi's fault. 'Tis a curse Naruto will bear for the rest of his life. Naruto noticed his teammates being silent so he had to break the awkward silence.

"About the second mission, Hokage-sama..." Naruto started.

"Oh, yeah. About that... I will brief you tomorrow on that one. See you all tomorrow," he said then with a wave of his hand, he dismissed them.

They bowed respectfully then exited the room. Naruto and Sakura took notice of the fact that Sakura still held Naruto's arm but neither made a move to remove it. Kakashi and Sasuke trailed behind them, staring at their backs as they walked side by side. The close proximity and Sakura's hand on Naruto's arm had Kakashi raise an eyebrow at this. He glanced at Sasuke to supply the information needed to quench his curiosity but the boy merely smirked at him and shook his head.

Kakashi decided to drop the matter altogether.


	17. Chapter 17

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 17

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

As they exited the building, Naruto quickly bade them goodbye to avoid questions from his teammates and went ahead. He walked towards Ichiraku's to eat dinner early. Once he arrived, he was greeted by a grin from Teuchi and Ayame.

"Konichiwa, Naruto-kun!" Teuchi greeted.

"Konichiwa, Teuchi-san, Ayame-neechan!" Naruto greeted.

Naruto took a seat away from two other costumers of the ramen shop. Teuchi brought him a bowl of his usual miso ramen with naruto fish cake.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto said.

He heartily ate his ramen. He was oblivious to someone watching him from afar and the cold stares the other costumers and passersby were giving him. He ate ten bowls and began to head home to avoid the villagers from picking on him again. The two costumers followed him towards his home, planning something bad to him.

A certain pink haired girl jumped on the rooftops to follow a teammate of hers. She had been worried about him so she decided to follow him. She arrived at Ichiraku's too late as Ayame told her Naruto already left. Apparently, he was trying to get home early for what she guessed was for his peace of mind. She was on a house's roof when Naruto turned to an alley where he usually passes and was cornered by the costumers from Ichiraku's. Sakura looked down at him with worry.

One man, big and burly, towered over Naruto. He had a bald head, tan skin, and a black beard. He had his arms crossed. He was easily a feet taller than Naruto so he looked down at the blond with a menial sneer. He began to chuckle at his companion but he held no humor in his tone.

"Well, well, well, looks like the Kyuubi is all alone again. Your friends not sticking around, I see. Well you should stay that way for the rest of your life, demon!" the man sneered.

Sakura's eyes widened. _'K-Kyuubi?'_ she thought.

"Wonder who will come to help him after we take care of him now?" his companion, someone smaller than him and thinner said. He was so thin; Sakura had to wonder if he was a skeleton with skin stuck to his body. He had dark bags under his eyes, his skin was sallow and clung to his body, and his long black hair was dirty and unkempt. He had a wild look in his eyes.

Naruto growled at them.

"You mad, Kyuubi? You going to kill us all?" the buff one taunted.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Kyuubi," the thinner one said.

"I didn't do anything you accuse me of," Naruto said.

Sakura worriedly watched Naruto before she slowly headed down the stairs to the pavement below.

"I will make you pay for killing my family," the burly man said, cracking his knuckles and looking at Naruto with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"I told you! I did nothing against you or your family! What is your problem?!" Naruto shouted.

"You dare?!" the thinner one said then landed a sharp blow on Naruto's jaw. The boy fell on the pavement, clutching his jaw. Blood trickled out of his mouth and onto the ground. He looked up at the two men with rage.

"You shouldn't have been allowed to live, Kyuubi. I don't know why the Hokage lets you walk through these streets," the burly man said.

"Maybe he's just too afraid of getting himself killed by the Kyuubi like the Yondaime and Lady Kushina. I don't get why we should tolerate murderers like you, Kyuubi," the sallow man added.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. _You_ won't matter anymore. I will finally avenge my family and at the same time, be a hero to the villagers. Die, Kyuubi!" And with that, he landed a blow on Naruto's temple.

Naruto's head met the pavement with a resounding crack. Stars danced around his vision as he struggled to regain his senses. He had never felt so weak before. It was like his body and brain were threatening to shut down.

Sakura could only watch in horror as the two guys beat him up senseless. One of them even pulled out a kunai and stabbed Naruto on his left chest, barely missing his heart. Naruto screamed in pain. He thrashed wildly, trying to fight off the men. But the sallow man, although thin and weak-looking, held him up as the burly man continued to beat him. Punches rained down on his face. With every blow, a new bruise began to form quickly. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth. His body was hurting so bad, he wished they'd just be done with it. His nose was broken; his head pounded so hard and his eyes were closed.

Sakura cried silently. She was frozen solid, afraid to move or make a sound in fear that the men noticed her and will also hurt her. The men continued beating him badly making Naruto stop thrashing from energy loss. He felt every ounce of energy leave his bloodied figure. Then the burly man gripped Naruto's neck and held him up. He smashed him against the wall, his eyes red with anger and ecstasy at the same time.

He tightened his grip on Naruto's neck making him gasp for air. He weakly tried prying of the hand from his neck but quickly gave up. His eyes shed tears as he exhaled and fainted. The man dropped him harshly and admired his handiwork.

"You are a disgrace to this village. You should have died in the place of the Yondaime," the thin guy said then kicked him hard on the ribs one last time.

They both left Naruto for dead. Sakura ran towards him and kneeled beside him, shaking his shoulders lightly.

"N-Naruto?" she called.

No answer. She checked his pulse and felt the beat of his heart. She sighed in relief. Anger and rage coursed through her veins as she vaguely recalled what happened seconds before.

"Bastards..." she muttered.

Sakura sat on her legs and pulled Naruto's head on her lap. She played with his sun kissed locks and stared on his face.

 _'You don't deserve to be treated like this. They're the real monsters, not you!'_ Sakura angrily thought.

She tucked some of his hair behind his ears and continued staring at his bloodied face. He had lots of cuts and bruises. His left eye had turned black. She wiped tears that ran down her cheek. She caressed his face. Naruto was half-awake when he noticed a familiar presence. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Naruto?" Sakura called.

Naruto looked around him until his eyes finally settled on the pink beauty above him. "S-Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. Sakura cried tears of joy seeing Naruto awake. Naruto sat up and rubbed his bloodied right temple.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"About three minutes," she said.

Naruto tried standing up but ended up falling flat on his butt.

"Here, let me help you," Sakura offered, her hands on his sides.

He pried her hands off his body.

"I'm okay," he reassured her, clutching his right side where Sakura was sure he had broken ribs.

"No, you're not. Quit being stubborn for once, will ya?" she impatiently said.

Naruto was silent for a while before he nodded his head. Sakura helped him stand. She had his left arm around her shoulders while her right hand supported the right side of his body.

"Come on. I'll take you to my house. My mother will patch you up. She's a doctor," Sakura said.

Once again, Naruto nodded. They made their way to Sakura's house which was surprisingly only a few blocks away from Naruto's apartment. Sakura knocked on her door with her left hand while her right arm was supporting him. Her mother answered. She was surprised at what her daughter brought.

"Kami-sama! What happened to him?!" she exclaimed.

"He was beaten up by two men," Sakura explained.

"Come in. Come in," her mother urged.

Naruto was surprised that Sakura's mother actually showed him care and compassion. She didn't even shove him away from her daughter. Sakura helped him take off his shoes. She entered the house, helping him, and set him on the couch then went after her mother who was in the kitchen, getting her med kit. Naruto winced from the pain that came from his wounds. The men beat him up pretty bad. But he didn't notice that he was slowly healing. After a few minutes later, Sakura and her mother came back. Her mother urged her to let Naruto take off his jacket while she helped him.

"Arigato," he muttered painfully to Sakura.

Sakura's mother started healing him. A bright green glow appeared from her hands and they hovered over Naruto's bloody figure. Naruto stayed silent, mentally rejoicing at the feeling that he was getting better. He glanced at Sakura who was watching her mother heal him. In a few minutes, thanks to the Kyuubi's healing power, Naruto's wounds had closed up but were still visible. Mrs. Haruno took off his jacket and patched him up with bandages. By the time she was done, he looked like a mummy.

"Arigato, Haruno-san," Naruto said, smiling.

"Please, call me Mebuki. And you're welcome," Sakura's mother said, smiling back.

"Hai, Mebuki-san," Naruto said.


	18. Chapter 18

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 18

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto noticed the blood on where he was sitting and began to feel embarrassed.

"Gomenasai for the couch, Mebuki-san," Naruto said, looking down.

"Ie. It's fine. We're getting a new one to replace this old and rickety couch, anyways," Mebuki reassured him.

Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly. He noticed the clock on their living room and took notice of the time.

"Arigato again, Mebuki-san, Sakura-chan. I have to head home now," Naruto said.

"I think you should spend the night. Right, Okaa-san?" Sakura suggested.

"I agree. It's really late and I'm afraid that if you get out now, people will beat you up again," Mebuki agreed.

Naruto was surprised at Sakura and her mother's concern towards him. He tried to reassure them but thought against it.

"Alright. But where will I sleep? And besides, I don't have anything to where," Naruto said cautiously.

"That can be arranged. You can sleep in Sakura's room and I think I still have my husband's old clothes. I will also be the one to wash your clothes," Mebuki said.

Naruto smiled. "Arigato, Mebuki-san," Naruto said.

Mebuki smiled back. "Okay. Now, Sakura, please lead him to your room. You have an extra futon underneath your cabinet," Mebuki ordered Sakura.

"Hai," Sakura said then gestured for Naruto to follow.

Naruto obliged and climbed up the stairs to Sakura's room. Her walls and bed sheets were light pink, basically, everything in her room was pink, save for her pillows, cabinet, lampshade, and the bedside table which were all white.

"This is my room. Wait here. I'll go get spare clothes," Sakura said.

"Arigato, Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

Sakura smiled then proceeded downstairs. Naruto noticed that she had a balcony and went out. He took a good view of the village and the moonlight. He noticed that it was a full moon and gazed at it, thinking about a certain person.

 _Haruno Sakura._

He couldn't believe the sequence of events that happened that very night. First, he was beaten up then Sakura came to his rescue, taking him to her mom to heal. And now, he will share a room with his one and only. He couldn't believe it. He never knew how much Sakura cared for him. And he ended up falling for her. She's not a petty little school crush anymore. He was sure that he was deeply in love with Haruno Sakura.

* * *

Sakura entered the room silently, searching for Naruto. She found him out the balcony, gazing at the stars. She watched him take off his hitai-ate leaving his blond hair, wild and free, just the way she loves him. Sakura stared at him, blushing. She loved him and she knew really well that she did. She loved how his oceanic blue eyes always take away her breath. She loved how his blond hair was always messy but in a good and sexy way. She loved everything about him. She took a good look at how he looked. She always wondered why he had whisker marks on his cheeks but she always thought he looked cute with them. She wanted to caress them, feel them but it was no time soon. She blushed harder when she took a look at his body. He was surprisingly well-built for a fourteen year old but she's not complaining. He had a toned chest, four-pack abs which were the result of his rigorous training, and his biceps are well-defined. He looked hot in her point of view.

She blushed as she felt warmth pooling in her nether regions. Her breath hitched. She wants nothing more than to touch those muscles and feel them around her. She shook her head to avoid the dirty thoughts and focused on the matter at hand. She knocked on her door. Naruto turned around and smiled at her. She felt more aroused by that foxy grin of his. She loved the way his teeth gleamed in the moonlight.

"Hey, Sakura-chan. Didn't see ya there," Naruto said.

Sakura approached him. "Here are some clothes, she said, handing out the clothes she held.

Naruto took them gratefully and thanked her. Sakura smiled. "I'll be out for a sec," she said.

She went downstairs to eat her dinner while Naruto studies the clothes she gave him. He first wore the black shirt with the Haruno clan crest at the back and green shorts. The clothing suits him well. He looked at the mirror by the bedside and looked at himself.

"Well, what do you know? It fits perfectly," he muttered.

He went out by the balcony again to resume his star gazing. He sat on a chair he found by the balcony and began to relax. He relaxed too much as he began to drift off to sleep.

Sakura came back a few minutes later to see Naruto sleeping calmly on the chair at the balcony. She smiled a little at how cute he was. She began pondering on whether she should wake him or not since she wanted him to have a good night sleep. At last, she ended up waking him.

"Naruto?" she began shaking him.

"Hmm?" he murmured, beginning to awaken.

"Come on. Let's get inside," she whispered.

Naruto obeyed without a word and sat down on her bed.

"You know, I was thinking that maybe, since I'm super tired right now, we can sleep in my bed together," Sakura suggested.

Naruto's eyes widened at her words. He was being invited to _sleep_ on her bed, with _her_. He was about to refuse but he began to feel sleepy. He yawned then nodded, which made Sakura giggle.

"Okay, sleepyhead," she said.

Naruto laid down on the bed while Sakura pulled out her nightgown and began to strip, causing Naruto to blush. He closed his eyes as soon as she took off her dress and turned around.

Sakura glanced at Naruto, disappointed.

 _'I hoped he would peak when he had the chance,'_ Sakura thought then continued to dress.

She lay down beside Naruto, facing his muscular back.


	19. Chapter 19

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 19

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Sakura stared at the white circle at the back of his shirt. Correction, her father's shirt. It was her clan's crest. Her thoughts began to drift off to the male beside her. She was ecstatic to hear that he'd be sleeping beside her. Don't get her wrong, she was dreadfully tired to get the futon but at the same time, she would get to sleep with her crush. It was as if her prayers were answered, not to mention she doesn't pray but rather plead.

"G'night, Sakura-chan," Naruto sleepily said.

"Good night," she said back.

She was tempted to hug him and feel his warmth mingle with hers but she fought back the urge.

' _Well, it's only a hug. I'm sure it won't hurt him… right?'_ she thought nervously.

Sakura shakily leaned closer to Naruto and snaked her arm around his waist. Naruto who was beginning to drift off to sleep was fully awakened by the feeling of an arm around his waist. He was afraid to look back as Sakura cuddled against his back. He felt his cheeks get warm and he knew he was blushing. He slightly looked over his shoulder as Sakura slowly began to let sleep take over, making her tighten her grip around Naruto's waist. She breathed in his scent deeply. She decided that she loved his scent immediately. He smelled like the forest after a rain, ramen, and something just… Naruto.

Naruto blushed more and finally decided to let her be and focus on trying to sleep. He closed his eyes and breathed through his nose, trying to calm his heavily beating heart.

 _'Oh, man, should I leave her like this?'_ Naruto wondered.

He finally let the thought go as he began to slowly fall asleep.

 _'Thank Kami he didn't react_ ,' Sakura mentally sighed.

Sakura cuddled closer to Naruto, savoring his warmth.

 _'He's so... warm_ ,' she thought, smiling.

Unknown to her, Naruto was mentally screaming on how he finally got his Sakura-chan to sleep with him. And with that thought, he fell asleep. Sakura checked to see if he was sleeping and found him lightly snoring _._ She giggled quietly.

 _'He's so cute_ ,' she thought.

She felt sleepiness take over her once again but before she succumbed to slumber... "I love you," she murmured.

Thankfully, she found Naruto already sleeping and smiled. She slept rather peacefully that night with ecstasy mixing up with it.

* * *

Sakura jolted awake, sweating and feeling sticky. Not to mention, really _horny_.

The sun was already in the sky, shining brightly with the clouds nowhere in sight. She looked at her side and noticed that Naruto wasn't beside her anymore. She just had a dream about her and Naruto- a rather long and… _pleasuring_ dream. She had to grin.

Her other friends were there too but she couldn't recall what they did in her dream. All she could remember was what happened between Naruto and her.

* * *

 _Sakura was in bed, waiting for someone but she didn't know who. A few seconds later, a naked man entered the room and jumped on her. She had no time to react and was scared shitless._ _But the fear didn't last long as she looked straight into the man's ocean blue eyes and immediately became lost in them. She noticed he had whisker marks on each side of his face. She recognized him in an instant._

 _"Naruto?" she said, confused. He looked different-_ older _. His hair had grown longer, much to the point that he almost looks like the Yondaime, his muscles grew more defined, he had adopted washboard abs, and his legs looked powerful._

 _"Happy anniversary, babe," Naruto growled as he took off all her clothes in an instant._

 _Her eyes widened as Naruto sucked on her right breast and massaged her neglected one. He occasionally would pinch her nub making her scream. He did the same with the other one._ _He then aggressively locked lips with her, his tongue forcefully thrusting her mouth. They passionately kissed. Sakura moaned in the kiss. Naruto trailed out of her mouth and sucked her neck, making Sakura wrap grip his blond hair and beg for more._

 _He spread her legs apart and began to lick her folds, earning him a scream of pleasure. He thrust his tongue in her and began to explore her. His fingers would rub her sensitive clit, making her moan and scream at the same time._

 _"Naruto-kun!" she screamed._

" _You're so delicious, Sakura-chan. I can eat you out forever," he groaned._

 _She tightly wrapped her legs around his head, trying to take in more of him. She felt drunk. Where did Naruto learn all of this? She had never felt more aroused in her life. She couldn't for any coherent thought. She felt so lost in his passion; she didn't want him to stop. She felt like a slut- moaning and screaming in pleasure. She didn't care who heard as long as he doesn't stop what he's doing._

" _Please…" she moaned desperately._

" _Please what, Sakura-chan?" He teased her, his fingers rubbing softly her nether lips, avoiding her clit and barely penetrating her._

 _She moaned and whimpered. "Please, please…" Sakura pleaded once again, her hips raising up, trying to take his finger into her._

" _You know, Sakura-chan… I can't understand anything you're saying. I don't know what you want unless you'll tell me. What do you want, Sakura-chan? Tell me and I'll give it to you," Naruto continued to torture her._

 _Sakura, at that point, was so sexually frustrated, she couldn't speak. She opened and closed her mouth but no word came out, merely whimpers._

" _Ngh! N… Na… Uh! Pl-Please! N-Naruto-kun!" She struggled, her body twisting and turning._

 _Naruto chuckled. Sakura glared at him- how dare he find her situation funny? If she wasn't so horny, she could have hit him into next week. Naruto gripped her hands in one hand and placed them over her head, all the while her other hand still had not stopped torturing her._

 _Tears fell down from her cheeks. She was so frustrated, she was actually crying! Naruto licked her tears away and slowly- ever so slowly- penetrated her swollen folds. Sakura sighed and wiggled her bottom, taking in his finger. Her inner walls clenched his digit, trying to take him in deeper._

" _Damn, Sakura-chan… you're so wet and tight. And all for me!" Naruto growled._

 _Sakura smirked and sighed. "O-Of course it's for you." She didn't know where the sudden confidence came from but she wanted him to take her so badly she'd do anything for him to shove his member deep inside her, her eyes would roll at the back of her head._

" _Naruto-kun… are you losing your touch, babe? I-I'm not even close. Come on. You can do better than that. You're getting old, Naruto."_

 _Naruto chuckled darkly. "Says the woman seven months my senior. I know what you're trying to do, Sakura-chan. You're baiting me by teasing me. You want me to shove my cock into you so hard, your eyes will roll at the back of your head. Well, sorry to disappoint you, honey, but you won't get through me that easily."_

 _To prove his point, he positioned his cock to rub at her folds, never penetrating. Both of his hands gripped her wrists above her head now. Her thighs were spread apart with him in between._

 _Sakura whimpered yet again. "N-Naruto… baby… please!"_

 _Naruto smirked. "No, no. That's not how it works, babe. You tried to trick me into doing what_ you _want and giving you what_ you _need. Well, it won't do for you to be so greedy. Did your mother ever teach you some manners? Oh, well… I guess I can teach them to you myself."_

 _Letting go of her wrists, he did his famous hand seal and summoned four clones- four_ naked _clones. All five of them were smirking. Sakura nearly fainted at the sight of them. She wondered what Naruto had in store for her. She felt fear but was aroused by it._

 _The four clones positioned themselves on every corner of the bed. Two proceeded to grip her wrists to the bed while the other two gripped her ankles. The two holding her ankles raised them up and spread her legs apart- treating the original Naruto to a front row view of her nether regions. Licking his lips, Naruto literally dove forward and devoured her. Sakura's mouth hung open which gave one of the clones the opportunity to lock lips with her. Two more clones devoured her breasts while the last merely caressed her body._

 _Sakura moaned in the clone's mouth. His tongue explored every nook and cranny of her mouth, her lips becoming bruised under his ministrations. The two clones devouring her breasts were playing with her nipples. One caressing her body ran his hands over her legs. The original between her legs, however, was what was driving her crazy. His tongue plundered her orifice, darting in and out, occasionally nipping at her clit. Her moans were the loudest whenever her clit was being played with._

 _Her climax nearing, her hips bucked and her body writhed under their ministrations. Her moans grew louder, almost to the point that she was screaming in pleasure but was being muffled. Taking her mouth from the clone, she finally screamed out her climax and blacked out._

* * *

Sakura snapped out of her stupor and noticed that she felt something cold on her chin. She blushed when her hand touched her chin and she felt her drool. Wiping it away, she decided to get in the bathroom to relieve herself. She can't face Naruto and the rest of her team with her hormones on overdrive. She couldn't help but feel unsatisfied, though. Naruto- in her dream- wasn't able to penetrate her with his member.

' _Oh, well… maybe next time,'_ she cheekily thought, giggling.

She took a bath quickly and emerged in her room a few moments with a towel covering her petite figure. She wore her shinobi clothes then proceeded to get downstairs to look for Naruto. Sure enough, he was there, eating breakfast with her mom and chatting with her. He noticed her and grinned widely.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted.

Sakura smiled and walked towards them. "Ohayo, Naruto, Okaa-san," Sakura greeted warmly.

"Ohayo, Sakura. Sit down and eat," her mother greeted.

She sat down beside Naruto and began to eat her breakfast.

Sakura kept glancing at Naruto during breakfast.

Mebuki noticed but kept quiet. She immediately knew about her daughter's feelings for the blond kid by just seeing her actions. She was quite relieved- and proud- of her daughter to fall in love for such a fine young man.

Not to mention that this boy's parents were good friends of hers.

After Naruto and Sakura were done eating, Mebuki left to get Naruto's clothes.

"Thanks for letting me sleep on your bed, Sakura-chan. I had a really good sleep," Naruto said to Sakura as soon as Mebuki was out of sight.

"Sure," Sakura said.

Naruto scratched his cheek. "Ne, Sakura-chan?" Naruto said.

"Nani?" she said.

"Why'd you hug me last night?" Naruto asked, blushing.

Sakura blushed as well and tried to think of a good answer. Naruto patiently waited.

"Uh... I guess I felt cold," Sakura reasoned.

Naruto shrugged. "Oh, well. At least it was nothing more… right?" Naruto said, laughing nervously.

 _'I wished it was_ ,' Sakura thought.

"Right," she chuckled nervously with him.

Mebuki appeared with Naruto's clothes in her arms. "Here," Mebuki handed the clothes to Naruto.

Naruto gratefully took them from her grasp. "Arigato, Mebuki-san," Naruto said.

"No problem. Bathroom's at the end of the hall," Mebuki said, pointing to a room at the end of the hall.

"Hai," Naruto said then went to the bathroom to change.

He got out a few minutes later wearing his clean shinobi clothes and with Haruno-san's childhood clothes in hand. He handed the clothes to Mebuki.

"Thanks for letting me stay the night and for washing my clothes, Mebuki-san," Naruto said.

"You don't need to thank me," Mebuki said.

"Sure, I do. You are one of a few good people who had been really nice to me."

"It's because of those rumors, isn't it?"

Naruto nodded. Mebuki sighed. "People and their rumors. You are nothing but a parentless child. I don't see any demon besides you," Mebuki said.

"Did you believe in those rumors?" Naruto asked.

"Kami-sama, no. Rumors are rumors. They have to have some evidence before they make me believe you're a demon."

"Arigato, Mebuki-san. I was glad to have met you. I can definitely see where Sakura gets her kindness."

"Oh, hush you! I wish it could've been sooner. You are such a gentleman. Tell you what, I'd love for you to come visit us again and get to meet my husband. Just… don't come here beaten up again. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Mebuki laughed and Naruto joined in. Sakura merely smiled at the scene. She was ecstatic to find them get along so well together. Perhaps, her mother wouldn't mind if Naruto would become her husband someday. She blushed at the thought, her smile not leaving her face.


	20. Chapter 20

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 20

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Team 7 has been taking D-rank missions from the Hokage. Iruka was there most of the time to keep track of their progress. They had taken at least thirty or more D-rank missions over the past three weeks which made Naruto frustrated and constantly bored.

"Why do we have to take such boring missions?!" Naruto complained to the Hokage.

"Naruto, you know well enough that Genins only take D-rank missions," Iruka patiently said.

"I want something more difficult! The missions are no fun when we know we'll succeed anyway," Naruto pointed out.

"I agree with the dobe, Hokage-sama. We already did at least thirty missions. Can you at least consider giving us a mission with a higher rank? I think my team has already proven that we can handle every D-rank missions you give us. Shouldn't you trust us to do something more difficult?" Sasuke said respectfully.

The Sandaime rubbed his short beard in thought. "Well... I suppose. Alright, then. Iruka, bring it here please," he said.

Sighing, Iruka grabbed a scroll from the desk and gave it to Kakashi.

As the Jounin opened the scroll and read its contents, Hiruzen explained, "Okay. You will have a C-rank mission this time. You are to escort a bridge builder to the Wave country for him to finish building his bridge."

"How long will the mission take?" Kakashi asked.

"Oh, not too long, I'm sure. Besides, I think your team would like the change of scenery," Hiruzen said.

"Okay. We accept the mission."

"Very well, then. I take it you're ready to meet our client," Hiruzen said then shouted a 'Come in!'

A man entered the room. He looked like he was in his fifties, his hair was gray and so was his beard. He wore glasses and a tacky hat. He had a towel on his shoulders and was taking a swig of sake. He smirked at the three Genins.

"These brats are going to take me to the Wave Country, eh? I'm not so sure 'bout 'em, especially the pinky," he said, taking another swig of sake.

"Sir, I would appreciate it if you don't underestimate my team. They are quite powerful when they're working together," Kakashi glared at him.

Naruto saw Sakura's hurt expression. He balled his hand in a fist and, in a flash, pinned the man on the wall with a kunai on his neck, making him drop the bottle of sake. The rest of the people in the room froze in shock with Naruto's speed. His ocean blue eyes glowed in anger as he glared at the man who dared to insult his first love in front of him. The old man shivered at the look in his eyes and pursed his lips. Oh, if looks could kill…

Naruto failed to notice the look of awe and admiration on Sakura's face as he regarded the man he had pinned on the wall with anger.

"Don't you dare talk about me or my teammates like we're not even here; especially Sakura-chan or I'll kill you where you stand!" Naruto threatened in a dark and serious tone while glaring daggers at him.

The man visibly gulped.

"G-Gomenasai," the man said.

Naruto took a step back and put away his kunai. He stood next to Sakura and grabbed her hand, interlacing it with hers. Sakura looked at their hands then looked up to see that he was giving her a reassuring smile. Sakura smiled back, squeezing his hand in thanks.

Sasuke smirked inwardly at their interaction. _'Oh, when will those two confess to each other? They look like they're from a soap opera,'_ he thought, shivering slightly.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him- apparently, he noticed Sasuke's random reaction. Sasuke merely smiled and shook his head at him. Kakashi shrugged, deciding he didn't care.

Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Now that's all done… Team 7, I would like you to formally meet Tazuna, the bridge builder," he said.

Tazuna nodded to them.

Team 7 nodded back as Naruto regarded him with a blank expression- as if he hadn't pinned the man to a wall with a kunai on his neck a few seconds ago. Sakura was looking at him with a worried expression but he merely smiled at her to show that he already got over the ordeal. She sighed inwardly at that. She may have been glad that Naruto was trying to protect her but she didn't want him to get in trouble.

Missing their interaction, Hiruzen continued, "I expect you all to complete his mission; report your status upon arrival. Understood?"

"Hai!" Team 7 said in unison.

"Pack your bags. Meet me at the village gates in an hour. You are all dismissed," Hiruzen said then waved them off.

Team 7 left without a word.

* * *

As soon as they were out of earshot, Tazuna approached the Sandaime. "What is wrong with that kid?" Tazuna snarled.

Hiruzen immediately knew who he was talking about. He sighed. "It's a law of mine not to tell anything about him to foreigners. I advice you not to provoke him in the future," the Sandaime calmly said.

"Why'd you send someone who has anger management issues to escort me?! For all we know, if I insult a single hair on his head, he'll kill me in my sleep!" Tazuna complained, slamming his hands on the Sandaime's desk.

"Excuse me! Need I remind you that you are talking to the Sandaime of Konoha? Show some respect, please!" Iruka reprimanded the man.

Hiruzen held up a hand, gesturing to Iruka that he should deal with the old man. He said, "For your information, Naruto is the best Genin of his generation. The team I assigned to escort _and_ protect you consisted of the Top Three Genins this year. I don't see why you're complaining."

"Did you see the look on his face?! That kid is dangerous!" Tazuna said.

"Naruto is _not_ dangerous. He can be violent when provoked at times but he is a sensitive, caring, and wonderful boy. How dare you insult a citizen of Konohagakure no Sato in front of its Hokage?!" Hiruzen said, his voice rising and his anger boiling. How dare this outsider insult the boy he considered his grandson and the son of an important shinobi of the village?

Tazuna wisely kept his mouth shut. Perhaps it was a bad idea to raise his voice to a powerful politician, especially the leader of one of the five great nations of the land. He should have known better than to anger the Hokage himself or it would result to another shinobi war. He realized that he should keep his thoughts to himself for the time being. "Gomenasai, Hokage-sama," he muttered, bowing his head in shame.

"Apology accepted. Now, come with me. We need to meet them at the village gates. I don't want to hear any complaints concerning Naruto, is that clear?" Hiruzen said, as he stood up and walked to the door.

"Crystal," Tazuna said.

"Good," Hiruzen said as he opened the door and exited.

* * *

Naruto arrived at his apartment and began to take a bag from under his bed. He placed it on the bed while he rummaged his drawers to pack clothes and some weapons that he stashed secretly. He put them in his bag and weapon holster respectively and was surprised to see that there was still some room for other stuff.

"Hmm... let's see. What else do I need?" he pondered.

He went to his bathroom and took out his toothbrush and toothpaste. He brushed his teeth before putting his necessities in his bag. He added his comb as well. Yes, he combs but his hair is naturally spiky. Next, he opened the drawer near his bedside and took out a black med kit. He strapped the med kit at the side of his right knee.

When he knew he was ready to go, he locked his apartment and went to straight to Ichiraku's. He knew he was going to be gone for a while so he needed to eat the best-tasting ramen as soon as he could.

When he arrived at the ramen stand, he sat on the counter then greeted Teuchi and Ayame.

"Hey, old man, Ayame-neechan!" he said.

"Konichiwa, Naruto-kun," Ayame greeted.

"Good to see you again, Naruto-kun. So, what will it be? The usual?" Teuchi said.

"Yup! Five bowls of miso ramen, please!" Naruto said.

"Comin' up!" Teuchi said.

She laughed heartily. "Only five bowls today, Naruto-kun? Are you on a diet?"

Naruto laughed along with her. "No way, I love ramen! No, it's just that, um… my team was given a C-rank mission and we'll be leaving in a couple of minutes. It might be a while before I get to taste your ramen again so… here I am!"

"Oh. In that case, good luck. And by the way, don't bother paying for the ramen. It's on the house," Teuchi offered.

"Arigato gozaimasu!" he said.

A few minutes later, Ayame placed five steaming bowls of miso ramen in front of him. "Enjoy, Naruto-kun," she said.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto said then ravished his first bowl.

* * *

Five minutes later, he bade them goodbye and rushed to the village gates where he saw only Sasuke sitting on the bench. He approached the silent albeit brooding Uchiha and sat down beside him.

"Hey, teme. It looks like we're the first ones here," Naruto chuckled.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, rolling his eyes.


	21. Chapter 21

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 21

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto smiled. He was used to Sasuke's constant change of mood. He never really understood it, really. At first, he was in a good mood, all smiling and positive, then the next, all brooding and rude. But he still thought of Sasuke as a brother. He always did. Even though he would _never_ admit it, he always thought of Sasuke as a brother. He knew of Sasuke's clan and felt sorry for him. He knew all about Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi, who assassinated his whole clan except for Sasuke and himself.

He saw how it greatly affected Sasuke. He saw how Sasuke would have a breakdown and destroy everything he saw without shame. He saw how Sasuke would cry in front of him and curse himself for being so weak or not being able to kill his big brother. Sasuke had told him he swore to avenge his family by killing his beloved brother. Sasuke and Itachi were once close to each other. He couldn't imagine how it must feel for his best friend.

Naruto might never understand how Sasuke is greatly affected because he himself didn't have a family to call home. That's why he wanted Sasuke to feel like he isn't alone in the world. He himself wanted to know what it felt like to have a family. He assumed this was the reason Sasuke was an emo. He looked at Sasuke being silent, probably brooding again. He mentally chuckled at the thought.

Just then, Sakura arrived, bringing him back to his senses.

"Hey, guys," Sakura greeted.

Sasuke merely grunted.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Naruto greeted with a smile.

Sakura walked towards Naruto. "Kakashi-sensei's late again, is he?" Sakura sighed.

Naruto shrugged. "Whatever. There's nothing we can do anymore. He won't learn," Naruto said, looking defeated.

Sasuke shrugged as well. "Besides, it doesn't mean we have to. The Hokage can deal with him," Sasuke said.

As if on cue, the Sandaime arrived with Tazuna. He approached the trio. "Hello, children. I take it your sensei is late again, is he?" he said, exasperated.

"Yup," Naruto said.

Hiruzen sighed. "That Kakashi," he murmured, shaking his head.

* * *

 _Finally._

"Oh, there you are, Kakashi. I wonder what took you so long," the Sandaime sarcastically said.

"About time you showed up!" Naruto complained.

"Where have you been?!" Sakura complained as well.

"Ingrate," Sasuke murmured.

Kakashi grinned, embarrassed.

"Gomenasai for being late," was all he said.

Hiruzen sighed. They have been waiting for at least an hour and a half for the Jounin to show up. "Okay. Let's not waste any more time. Team 7, I entrust our client to you. I wish you luck. You may go now," Hiruzen said.

"Hai!" Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke said in unison.

"Don't worry! You can count on us, old man!" Naruto said, flashing a toothy smile and giving the Sandaime a thumbs up.

"I know I can, Naruto," Hiruzen said, smiling.

And so, Team 7 left with Tazuna to embark on their first mission outside the village. It took them at least three days to arrive in the Wave. They came to a misty forest where they have to go through to get to Tazuna's house.

"It's only a few miles from here," Tazuna reassured the tired team.

Kakashi suddenly came to a stop, making the rest of his team do so as well.

Naruto decided to speak up, "Sensei, what is it?"

Kakashi turned towards Tazuna, his voice low. "How often does it rain here?"

Tazuna became confused. "What? It doesn't rain this time of year. Kakashi, what's going on?"

"Sensei, what's the matter?" Sasuke asked.

His voice still low, Kakashi gathered his team. "Listen to me. Form a circle around Tazuna, facing outwards."

"What? Why, sensei?!" Sakura asked, her face a mask of confusion.

Suddenly, Naruto's face lit up. "Sensei, there are five puddles around us. And Tazuna said it didn't rain..."

Kakashi got into a defensive stance and faced away from his team.

"Protect Tazuna at any costs!" Kakashi yelled and pulled out a kunai.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura immediately circled around Tazuna and followed his example. Kakashi pulled up his hitai-ate, revealing his left eye... which had a Sharingan, the Uchiha clan's bloodline. His left eye had a scar across it.

Just then, a man who wore a tight black jumpsuit, a mask, and a hitai-ate with a symbol that was slashed horizontally by a sharp object jumped from the puddle with something that looked a lot like a steel whip with sharp edges along the whip. He threw it towards Kakashi, trapping him in the sharp whip.

Kakashi parried it with his kunai and threw a shuriken towards the attacker.

"Sensei, who are they?!" Naruto shouted.

"They're missing-nin. They're shinobis who abandoned their village and are now criminals," Kakashi explained briefly.

Tazuna whimpered behind them. "Oh, no… they're after me." Naruto turned to look at him with a wild look in his eyes. "What?!" he exclaimed, making the others turn to look at him.

Taking advantage of the situation, the missing-nin threw the sharp whip once more towards Kakashi, successfully encasing the Jounin within its spiky clutch. The whip tightened and squeezed Kakashi, creating wounds on his body. After a forceful pull, Kakashi's body was cut into pieces. The whip effectively cut off his body and limbs, creating a bloody mess. It was a horrifying sight.

Naruto's eyes widened. Sakura covered her mouth with her hands, preventing her tears from falling. Sasuke scowled.

"Sensei..." Naruto murmured.

Tazuna's eyes widened at the sight of Kakashi's separated body pieces. Naruto howled at the missing-nin and charged at him.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called.

Sakura's eyes widened at Naruto's charging figure. Oh, that boy! He was always charging ahead of the situation before thinking it through, only devising a plan along the way. She started to run after him but Sasuke grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Are you crazy?! It's too dangerous! We have to protect Tazuna," Sasuke said.

"But-" she was cut off.

"Sakura, we both know Naruto can handle himself. He's the best, remember? All we can do now is put our trust in him. You do trust him, right?" Sasuke said.

Sakura, though looking affronted, nodded. "Yeah." She turned to look at Naruto's advancing back longingly. _'Oh, please be careful, you baka.'_

Naruto summoned thirty clones and pulled out two kunais, holding one in each hand.

"Stay with Tazuna!" one of the clones said to Sasuke and Sakura.

Sasuke scoffed. "As if you really needed to tell us that," he said though he knew Naruto wasn't there to listen to him. Sakura merely ignored him.

The original Naruto disappeared and reappeared behind the missing-nin that killed Kakashi and thrust his kunais towards him. The clones attacked the other missing-nins. Naruto was about to charge at the last missing-nin a few feet away when they were shocked once again. Kakashi popped out from the trees and killed the said target. The Genins' eyes widened.

"Sensei!" Naruto and Sakura said in unison.

"What?! How did you-?!" Sasuke asked.

"Well, first off, I'm a Jounin. I was a tad hurt for you believing that I could be defeated that easily. I mean… really, how did you think I became a Jounin? And second, I used an illusion to fake my death," Kakashi said, gesturing to the now empty ground where what's supposedly left of his body was there just a few moments ago.

Sasuke noticed his left eye and his eyes widened.

"W-Why do you have a Sharingan? I thought it can only be activated by my clan?" Sasuke asked, stunned.

"It was given to me by an Uchiha teammate," Kakashi said.

"Who? How? Why?!" Sasuke asked.

"Let's discuss that later," Kakashi said.

Suddenly, Naruto disposed his clones and rounded on Tazuna, grabbing the front of his shirt. He pulled the old man towards him. Though shorter than Tazuna, he looked intimidating. "What are you not telling us, old man?" he growled.

Sakura grabbed his elbow and said, "Naruto, let him go!"

He obeyed though the look in his eyes still had a dangerous glint in them. Sakura wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him away from Tazuna. Kakashi stepped towards Tazuna and asked, "He asked you a question, Tazuna. Who are those people?"

Tazuna sighed, defeated. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you. But can we continue this conversation in my house? It's dangerous out here. Anyone can hear and when it's dark out, lots of missing-nins lurk in the forests, finding people to ambush."

Kakashi nodded, appeased with his reasoning. "Alright. Come on, team. Let's go."

The group continued their journey. For a few minutes, everything was silent when Naruto sensed something behind the trees. "Stop!" Naruto said.

Kakashi looked at Naruto. "You can sense it, too, huh?" he asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Sense what?" Sakura asked.

"Concealed chakra. Shinobi conceal their chakra to prevent from being detected. It's perfect for assassinations or ambushes," Kakashi asked.

"If it's concealed and only the Sharingan can sense it, why can you, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know why but I can feel it," Naruto said.

"How many are they?" Tazuna asked, visibly shaking.

"About more than ten," Naruto said.

"What?!" Sakura said.

"That's enough! Ready your weapons!" Kakashi ordered.

Naruto nodded and so did Sasuke and Sakura. As soon as they held their weapons, a missing-nin charged towards them. Naruto threw a shuriken towards him and he hit a vital organ. Six more appeared and charged towards Kakashi. Kakashi began to fight them. Six other missing-nins emerged from the trees and charged towards Naruto and Sasuke. Both engaged three in hand to hand combat. Sakura wisely stayed behind to defend Tazuna. After a short battle, there were no missing-nins left to fight.

They were bleeding and a few wounds were found all over their body but none were too serious.

"Well... that went better than expected," Kakashi sighed.

Naruto chuckled. "Ya think?"

Unbeknownst to them, one missing-nin stealthily approached Sakura. Naruto sensed him and turned around. His eyes widened as the missing-nin pulled out a kunai and was about to stab her.

"Sakura-chan!" he shouted.

Sakura turned around and screamed. The missing-nin descended the kunai towards her. She braced for impact and clamped her eyes shut. She heard the sickening sound of blood spluttering but she didn't feel any pain. She felt something warm and wet on her face and realized it was blood. But what shocked her was the fact that it wasn't hers. She slowly opened her eyes to Naruto, his back facing her. Her eyes widened. She tilted her head and saw the kunai penetrated through his back to his chest.

"N-Naruto?" she said, tears glistening in her eyes.

She saw him cough up blood before he went limp and collapsed on the ground. She immediately knelt beside him. "Naruto!" she called out.

She saw the missing-nin about to hit her again so she hugged Naruto's body close to her. Sasuke charged towards the missing-nin and stabbed the said target on the chest. The missing-nin immediately collapsed, unconscious. He knelt beside Naruto as well. Kakashi and Tazuna rushed towards the trio. Tazuna knelt down beside him and checked his pulse.

"Missed his heart. He's still alive," Tazuna announced.

Sakura perked up.

"We have to hurry!" Sasuke urged.

Kakashi lifted Naruto on his back.

"Tazuna-san, where is your house?" he asked.

"Follow me," Tazuna said and ran to the direction of his house with Team 7 trailing right behind him.

Sakura's eyes never strayed from Naruto's unconscious figure as blood trickled down the corner with his mouth and to Kakashi's Jounin vest. Tears streamed down her face. _'Please be okay. Naruto, you have to be okay,'_ Sakura pleaded silently.


	22. Chapter 22

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 22

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

They reached Tazuna's house before the sun had completely set. The house was a little run down but livable. It was mostly made out of wood and was void of colors. It had two floors. The door in front was made of oak and dents adorned it. The doorknob was rusted.

A woman and her son answered the door when Tazuna pounded on it.

"Inari, get the med-kit! This is an emergency!" Tazuna barked at the young boy who looked to be younger than ten years of age. He has spiky black hair and dark-coloured eyes. He wore a green jumpsuit with a yellow shirt and a simple pair of sandals. He also wore a blue and white striped hat under the brim of which he looked at them.

The little boy immediately disappeared.

"What happened, Otou-san?" the woman, his daughter, asked. She has long blue-coloured hair. She wears a short-sleeved pink shirt with the end of the sleeves and the collar being red in color. She also wears a long blue skirt.

"I'll explain later, Tsunami, but this boy needs medical attention. Now," Tazuna said.

The little boy came back with a med-kit and handed it to his mother. Tazuna led Kakashi in a room.

"In here, Kakashi-san," Tazuna urged. The room was small but could easily fit four people in it. The bed was big enough for two people. There was a bedside table at the right side of the bedroom, a full-length mirror hung on the wall beside it, and a door was on the wall beside the mirror which Kakashi guessed was the bathroom. On the opposite side of the bed, there was a dark oak cabinet and a small table and a chair for a vanity set. There was only one window and it was on the wall at the head of the bed. The walls and ceiling were painted a simple white. The floor was made of cherry blossom wood.

Kakashi laid Naruto on the bed and went out the room. Sakura was about to enter when Kakashi stopped her. Tazuna closed the door and locked it.

"No. You need to rest first," he said.

"But, sensei-" she started.

"That is an order," Kakashi said.

Sakura nodded sadly. Kakashi sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine. I know you want to make sure he's okay but you have to trust Tazuna and his daughter. He's strong, Sakura. He'll make it through this," Kakashi said.

"I know, sensei," she said, sighing.

"And besides, once they made sure he's okay, you can stay by his side for as long as you can. No interruptions," Kakashi smiled.

"Arigato, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smiled as well.

Kakashi led her to the couch where Sasuke sat. Sakura sat beside him as Kakashi disappeared.

"Sakura... are you alright?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I feel dreadful, actually. I feel so weak. Naruto almost died because of me. And what's worse, I couldn't do anything to help him. If only I had been more alert to my surroundings… if only I was stronger, I could have-"

"Sakura!"

Sakura looked at Sasuke, startled.

Sasuke sighed. "We don't know what would have happened even if you had noticed that missing-nin. Don't beat yourself up for that- you are _not_ weak. We both know that. _Naruto_ knows that. He's just like that, you know him. He'd risk his life for anyone. You could have handled that missing-nin on your own but even if that did happen, do you really think Naruto wouldn't help you?"

Sakura smiled solemnly. "He will."

"There, see? There's no need for you to underestimate yourself for something so trivial."

Sakura chuckled. "I can't believe you actually made me feel better. I never thought you're capable of those things."

Sakura scowled. "Don't think I'm going to do this every time you're like this. Kami knows how many times I've seen Naruto like this. I can't handle both of you. I'm not your counselor."

Sakura laughed. "Arigato, anyway, Sasuke."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Enough of the mushy stuff." His face suddenly became serious. "I need to tell you something."

Sakura cocked her head to the side, curiosity evident on her features. "What is it, Sasuke?"

"You know… I've been observing you and Naruto ever since we met... and I know how you feel about Naruto. I can see it in your eyes and how you act towards him. I saw your face when he fell. You looked like your heart was being ripped out from you. I know you harbor feelings for him, Sakura."

Sakura was floored. She always thought Sasuke wasn't capable of things relating to human emotions but she guessed she underestimated him. "Wait, how did you-?" she stopped then sighed in defeat. "That obvious, huh?" she asked.

Sasuke smirked. "Those were the exact same words Naruto said when I asked him if he liked a certain someone," Sasuke stated, looking calm.

Sakura eyes widened as she gaped at Sasuke's smirking face. "What?!" she asked.

Sasuke chuckled lightly.

"Who is she?! Do I know her?! Does she look good? Does she know him? Is she a shinobi or a villager? If she is a shinobi, is she from our batch? Do you think she's good enough for him? How old is she…?" Sakura rambled on.

Sasuke tuned her out as his eyes nearly popped out his head and his mouth widened. He rubbed his temples, groaning.

"How can anyone be this blind?!You two are such idiots, you know that? " Sasuke groaned.

Sakura glared at him but chose not to comment on his statement. "Well... who is she?" she asked.

"I'm not in the place to tell who. I think you should speak to Naruto about that himself. Keep in mind, I gave the exact advice to him," Sasuke said.

Sakura sighed. "It's not as easy as you think, Sasuke. I can't just waltz up to him and say, 'Oh, Naruto, can I talk to you for a sec? Oh, by the way, I like you very much and I want to be with you. Will you be my boyfriend?' That would be very embarrassing," she said.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Will you do that, though?"

Sakura looked affronted. "Of course not! I just…" She sighed. "I don't know what to do."

Sasuke shrugged. "If it helps, you can try being honest."

Sakura glared at him, not amused. "That wasn't very helpful."

Sasuke chuckled. "I aim to please."

Tazuna and his daughter exited the room. Tazuna approached Kakashi who was leaning at the back of the couch. Sasuke and Sakura noticed him and immediately stood up.

"It's all taken care of. He's alive. Don't worry but he'll be out a couple of hours or so. By the way, I all like you to meet my daughter, Tsunami," Tazuna said, gesturing to the woman beside him.

Tsunami smiled at them and said, "It's a pleasure meeting you. Arigato for protecting Otou-san."

Kakashi nodded. "Don't mention it. My name is Hatake Kakashi and this is my team, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. The boy upstairs is Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke and Sakura bowed respectfully at her.

"Arigato, Tazuna-san, Tsunami-san, for treating Naruto," Kakashi said.

"It's alright, Kakashi-san. It's the least I can do after you and your team protected me. Gomen if I underestimated them. It was uncalled for," Tazuna said.

"It's fine. You were drunk back then," Sasuke reassured him, shrugging.

Sakura turned to Kakashi in apprehension. "Sensei, can I go see him?" Sakura asked Kakashi timidly.

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Sure, go ahead," Kakashi said, waving her away.

Sakura rushed to the room where Naruto was. She slowly opened the door and saw him peacefully lying on the bed with bandages covering his upper torso. She approached his sleeping figure and sat on a chair at the bedside. She stared at him for a few seconds, grateful to Tazuna and his daughter for making sure he lived. She remembered the conversation she had with Sasuke earlier and was feeling a little uneasy.

 _'I wonder who the lucky girl is...'_ she thought sadly, taking his hand in both of hers. His hand was still warm which meant that he was very much alive. She kissed the back of his hand tenderly and smiled. She gazed at his sleeping form. He looked at peace, as if he was only sleeping and was not injured just moments ago.

' _I'm so glad I fell for him. He really is different from the others. Who knows how many others would do the same thing he did for me? He risked his life to save mine. And I love him for that and be forever grateful for him,'_ she sighed. _'Not that I'm complaining, but… I just don't get how other girls could not see what I see, except for Hinata.'_

Just then, her eyes narrowed as she thought of the Hyuuga girl. _'She likes Naruto as much as I do. I wonder if she is the girl Naruto likes…'_ Her heart began to pound in fear as she pondered on that thought. _'No… Naruto said she's like a friend to him. Nothing more, nothing less. Even if he did, which was_ not _true, he'd tell me.'_ Her heart began to feel lighter and she sighed. Unbidden, possessiveness overcame her. _'Whoever she is, she'll never be able to live up to what he needs. Only I can give him what he needs. I'm so glad those other bitches like Sasuke and not him. It would lessen the competition. I don't get what they see in him, though. I mean… sure, he's good-looking, smart, and mysterious, but are those the only things they like in a guy? Ugh… Naruto is a much better choice than him. Sasuke can't give me what I need. And I need Naruto- only Naruto. And, hopefully, he needs me just as much as I need him.'_

She felt heat pool in her belly and wetness in her panties _. 'Damn hormones. Oh, well. I guess I can't really blame them. Naruto is just so damn irresistible… sexy… muscular…'_ Her eyes closed as he moaned and bit her lip as she remembered the dream she had that fateful day. Ever since she saved him from being beaten and took him into her home, she had been having dreams and fantasies about him every night. Each dream was different. One time, she was bent over on the Hokage's desk- _'Naruto being the Hokage,'_ she thought, giggling- and the next, she was on top of the Yondaime's head on Hokage Rock. The most adventurous they had been is when they had been in her parents' house- specifically on their dining table. Every dream had only one similarity- they left her unsatisfied. As with the first dream, she was only being eaten out but was never penetrated. There have been times, as well, when she was being fingered or eaten out from her rear end but she never felt him penetrate her. She figured it was because she didn't know how Naruto's member would look like so her dream state settled for what's there.

Oh, how she was left so unsatisfied. At times, it was unbearable. And that's how she discovered the wonders of masturbation but she knew it would never hold a flame to the real thing- Naruto himself. If only they were together… now that thought left countless possibilities.

Her last thought as she began to drift off was that she didn't have to worry about any girl taking away Naruto from her, she wouldn't let them. They'd have to go through her first.

* * *

Naruto found himself in a sewer. He looked around, surprised.

"Wait, what? How did I get here? Where is _here_ , exactly?" he asked no one in particular.

He then noticed he was standing on water. There was water everywhere. Ahead of him, there was a hallway. Curious, he started walking forward, hoping to find something in the weird place. At the end of the hallway was a huge cage with a kanji symbol for _Seal_.

"What is this place?" he asked.

He approached the huge cage and stood in front of it. "Why is there a cage here?" he asked, his question echoing on the walls.

 **"I see you have finally found a way to get here,"** a loud, rumbling voice said.

Naruto was shocked; it was completely unexpected for someone to answer. He sensed a powerful and malevolent chakra emanating from within the cage. "Who are you and what is this place?" Naruto asked, leaning closer.

 **"Puny human. You are in the confines of your mind, where your biggest secret is kept,"** the voice said.

"What do you mean _biggest secret_?" Naruto asked, utterly confused.

 **"Fool!"** the voice boomed.

Naruto winced at the volume and tone of the unknown voice. Just then, he saw nine huge, red tails swaying in the cage.

"What the-?! Who are you?!" Naruto exclaimed.

 **"Puny human! I was the one who attacked your village when you were a mere infant,"** the voice boomed again.

Naruto's eyes widened in realization and fear. "No… impossible. You can't be..." he stammered.

 **"I am the beast who destroyed your village 14 years ago and the reason why those puny villagers hate your very being!"** the voice proclaimed.

A fox with nine tails emerged within the dark confines of the cage and revealed its glory. "You're the..." Naruto stammered again.

 **"Yes. It is I, the ninth and most powerful Bijuu, the Kyuubi no Yoko!"** the fox proclaimed.

Naruto's eyes widened.

* * *

Naruto woke with a jolt. He frantically looked around him and found he was in a room. He noticed a mop of pink hair on the bed and recognized her immediately. He held his head which began to throb in pain.

"Damn... what happened to me?" he groaned silently.

Then he remembered the fight with the missing-nins and him protecting Sakura. He looked down on his torso to find it bandaged. He suddenly remembered his accidental _meet-and-greet_ with the Kyuubi, which he found out was sealed inside him. He became very frightened thinking about it. How would his friends react once they know? Will they hate him like the other villagers or will they accept him like the Sandaime did?

He hid his face in his hands and thought it over. _'There is no way I'm telling them then. They'll hate me like the villagers,'_ he thought solemnly. He sighed. "This is so confusing," he whispered.

He noticed his pink haired teammate beside him shift and he knew what was probably wrong.

Sakura was having a nightmare.

* * *

 _Sakura was kneeling beside a dying Naruto, his body lay on the ground in his own blood, creating a pool around him._ _His blood was trickling down the side of his mouth, his chest had a hole, his left foot was missing, his right elbow was twisted brutally, and his abdomen had been punctured by a large sword._ _Clearly, he had just been in battle, his opponent just a few feet away from him, his face hidden in a mask, dying as well with a young boy's corpse beside him._

 _"S-Sakura-chan..." he said weakly._

 _"N-Naruto, don't die, please!" she pleaded, crying. She gently lifts his head and lays it on her lap. Her whole body shook with her sobs. Her heart constricted painfully in her chest and she felt like it was dying. In a way, maybe it was, as she looked at Naruto's mangled form on her lap._

 _"I'm getting tired, Sakura-chan. I don't think I will be able to live much longer," he weakly explained. His eyes were drooping as he fought to stay conscious._

 _"J-Just hold on a bit longer. Kakashi-sensei is coming. Please, Naruto!" she pleaded._

 _"I'm sorry..."_

 _Sakura held him in her arms, crying hard._

 _"N-Naruto, you can't die... I-I love you, Naruto. I love you so much. Don't leave me, please!" she pleaded desperately._

 _Naruto's eyes widened, clearly shocked. He cupped her cheek with his left hand. He gazed in her emerald eyes and exhaled one last time._ _She felt his hand drop from her cheek and saw his eyes losing life in them. She knew he was gone. She held onto him, trembling violently._

 _"No, no... come back, please... no…_ NARUTO! _" Sakura screamed, hugging him close in her chest._

* * *

Sakura woke up, her hair clinging to her forehead due to her sweat. She held a hand to her heart and felt it pounding underneath her fingertips.

"Sakura-chan?" a voice said, the familiarity making her heart leap in relief.

She gasped and raised her head to see ocean blue orbs staring back at her. Her eyes widened in realization and began to water.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, sitting up.

Sakura's tears flowed freely in happiness. "Naruto!" she said, her arms engulfing him in a tight hug. She cried on his bare shoulder, clinging to him. His warmth immediately calmed her because she _knew_ \- he was alive and he was here with her.

Naruto was a bit surprised at the act but kept silent and held her in his arms. He was really worried about her. It must've been one hell of a nightmare.

"You're alive..." she murmured repeatedly. Her nightmare shook her greatly. Now she had no doubt that she loves him. She couldn't imagine life without him. And as she was in his arms, she felt like she _belonged_ there. It felt so right. He held her tightly, as if he was protecting her from everything that would try to hurt her. She had never felt so safe, so loved- so _important_.

"Shhh... it's okay. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her, rubbing her back soothingly. As he did so, she was relieved. She calmed down instantly.

He smiled at her, making her melt inside so she smiled back. Naruto suddenly felt like someone had poked his wounded chest with a stick, making him wince which did not go unnoticed by Sakura.

"Are you okay?" she asked, instantly becoming worried.

He winced again, despite his efforts not to make it obvious that he _was_ wincing. He noticed her worried face and smiled, leaning on the bed board.

"Yeah, it's just... my chest hurts a little." He frowned.

"Okay. Stay here. I'll get sensei," Sakura said.

"Yeah... like I'm going anywhere," he murmured, low enough for her not to hear.

She exited the room but not before glancing at him one last time. Naruto did the same before he went back to staring at the ceiling. He placed his right hand on his bandaged chest where the pain resonated and rubbed the said area.

 _ **'Feeling a little uncomfortable, I see,'**_ a voice inside his head said in amusement.

 _'K-Kyuubi?!'_ Naruto thought, shocked.

 _ **'Surprise,'**_ Kyuubi chuckled darkly.

 _'H-How were you-'_ he was cut off.

 _ **'-able to communicate with you?'**_ Kyuubi finished calmly. _**'It's simple, really. When you found me, it meant that you broke the barrier preventing me from communicating to you.'**_

 _'So... it means you and I can communicate, like... telekinesis?'_ Naruto asked.

 _ **'Telekinesis is another term, baka. But it can be associated to it. Technically, I am part of you,'**_ Kyuubi snarled.

' _What did you do to me? Why does my chest hurt so much?!'_

' _ **I don't give a damn to what happens to you. And even if I knew what's happening to you, do you really think I'd tell you?'**_

Naruto felt the jolt of pain again and resumed rubbing his chest, ignoring the now annoying voice inside his head- although fear gripped his heart as he thought of the possibilities on why his chest felt that way. He hoped it had nothing to do with the Kyuubi.

' _ **What? Afraid that I'll possess you?'**_ The Kyuubi taunted, laughing humorlessly.

Naruto kept from retorting at him though he was terrified at the possibility.


	23. Chapter 23

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 23

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto winced again. He wasn't sure where the jolts of pain came from but it sure bothered the hell out of him.

Sakura peaked from the door before fully opening the door to reveal Kakashi, Sasuke, Tazuna, and his daughter Tsunami on the other side.

Naruto smiled at them, clearly ecstatic to see his friends.

"Hey, guys," he croaked out.

His team walked towards him, Sasuke on his right, Sakura and Kakashi on his left.

"How you feeling, dobe?" Sasuke teased half-heartedly.

"My chest hurts a little. But other than that, I'm good," Naruto chuckled.

Tsunami and Tazuna stood beside him.

"My name is Tsunami, I'm Tazuna's daughter. I'll be checking your wound so keep still, okay?" Tsunami said, smiling.

Naruto nodded. His team backed up a bit to make room for Tsunami and Tazuna. Tsunami slowly took off Naruto's bandages and saw that his wound had completely healed.

Her eyes widened and so did Naruto's and Tazuna's.

"Incredible," Tsunami murmured.

His team took a peak on his wound and found nothing there, not even a scar. His chest didn't show any signs of the wound. It was as if nothing happened there at all.

"What the-" Sasuke trailed off.

"H-How-" Sakura muttered.

 _'I see the Kyuubi has healed him. Probably because it doesn't want to die_ ,' Kakashi thought.

Naruto trailed a finger on his chest to check if it was real. Indeed, it was.

"There is nothing wrong here at all," Tazuna said.

"But how did it heal so fast?" Sakura asked, looking at her sensei.

Kakashi merely shrugged.

"The good thing is that he is fully healed. We'll worry about how he healed later," Tazuna said.

"In the meantime, let's go eat dinner. Come on," Tsunami said with contagious enthusiasm.

Tsunami handed Naruto his black undershirt though now it had a slit on the upper middle and his orange jacket with an identical slit on the upper middle. Clearly, they have been washed. Kakashi excused himself to go down and left Sakura and Sasuke with their friend. Naruto wore the black shirt and left his orange jacket in the room. He stood up with ease and walked downstairs with Sasuke and Sakura trailing behind him to eat dinner.

He noticed he was starving.

* * *

Dinner was delicious.

Tsunami prepared a feast. There was some sashimi, tempura, yakitori, and sushi. She also made home-cooked ramen, much to the pleasure of Naruto and the chagrin of his teammates. They ate and talked during dinner.

Team 7 gathered with Tazuna in the living room after dinner to discuss something of great importance to them. They stared at him with seriousness all over their faces.

"I... guess I owe you an explanation, huh?" Tazuna said with a sigh.

He rubbed his head, thinking on where to start.

"Well... there's this man, Gato, who's after my family..." he started.

 _Inari and Tazuna were walking towards the docks to visit Inari's stepfather and Tazuna's son-in-law, Kaiza._ _Inari's biological father died before he got to know him. Kaiza became his stepfather when he saved Inari from drowning._

 _Inari smiled when he saw his stepfather waving at him from a distance._

 _"Otou-san!" Inari greeted enthusiastically and ran to meet him._

 _"Hey, kiddo," Kaiza said._

 _Kaiza had short spiky black hair and black eyes. He had a small white rope tied around his head which was tied on the right side of his head and a small x-shaped scar on his chin. He wore a black T-shirt that had a white outline and a white pair of pants. He also had scars on his arms._

 _Inari jumped in his arms and hugged him._

 _"How you doing, Kaiza?" Tazuna greeted, walking up to them._

 _"Making progress," he said, wiping a bead of sweat forming on his forehead._

 _"Will you go with us to the barbecue shop?" Inari asked, smiling._

 _"Sure thing, kiddo. I'm getting hungry anyway. You go ahead, I'll catch up with both of ya," Kaiza said, smiling back and nodding at Tazuna._

 _Inari and Tazuna walked to a nearby barbecue shop and ordered their barbecue. They were eating happily when two men went in the shop and pointed guns at everyone._

 _"In the village square, NOW!" one of the men said._

 _They all rushed in the square without a second thought. Everyone wondered what was going on._ _After a few minutes of waiting, two men were dragging a man with a small sack on his head to hide his identity to the people. He was forced to kneel in front of the crowd._ _A small man wearing a tux and had shades on was accompanied by ten men towards the kneeling man. All of them had guns in their hands._

 _"I gathered you all here today to warn you FOOLS to see what happens when you if you ever try to stop me from accomplishing my goals!" the man said in a loud voice._

 _He took off the sack off the man's head to reveal none other than Kaiza. People started murmuring and some gasped. Tazuna began to worry and so did his grandson. "Otou-san…" Inari whimpered. Tazuna lifted the boy in his arms, trying to comfort him as he watched his son-in-law kneel before them._

 _"Now watch! What will happen here might happen to all of you if you ever cross paths with me, Gato!" the man said._

 _"You won't get away with this..." Kaiza said._

 _Gato signaled a man with a white mask and a big sword behind him. The man nodded and cut off Kaiza's arms with his sword._ _Kaiza screamed in pain and collapsed, shaking in immense pain. Gato and his men_ _laughed in amusement at his reaction._ _Gato kneeled towards Kaiza and sneered. He grabbed the two limbs and waved it in front of Kaiza's face._

 _"Looks like you won't be able to protect your_ precious people _with these_ two arms _," he mocked, referring to Kaiza's words before._

 _Gato nodded at the masked man again._ _"You know what to do, Zabuza," Gato said and started walking away._

 _The masked man, Zabuza, nodded back and cut off Kaiza's head. Inari, who saw the whole thing, cried in his grandfather's arms as he saw Kaiza's head rolling towards the crowd and at their feet._

Sakura gasped, her hand covering her mouth. Naruto scowled, wrapping an arm around Sakura who had tears falling down her cheeks. He was torn between wanting to comfort Sakura and marching straight to the man who killed Tazuna's son-in-law. He instantly hated Gato, whoever he is. He killed a man who was a father to Inari. He knew how it felt to never know his father but to take away someone who stood as his father was too much though at least Inari still had his mother. Naruto would never know how it feels to have his mother and father with him. He felt a tug in his heart as he thought of what he would do just to have a few minutes with his parents.

"And... that's why I had to lie about the mission rank. We didn't have enough money to pay for protecting us from Gato and his thugs," Tazuna explained.

Kakashi sighed. "I'll let this pass, but my team still has to make their decision," Kakashi said.

"I understand," Tazuna said, nodding.

Kakashi stood from the couch. "Alright, let's retire for the night. I need to send a message to the Sandaime. We'll discuss this tomorrow," Kakashi announced and walked to his and Sasuke's shared room.

Sasuke followed him without a single word.

Sakura walked over to Tazuna and placed a hand on his left shoulder. "I'm sorry about your son-in-law," Sakura said.

"It's fine. I'm sorry about underestimating you and lying about the mission," Tazuna apologized.

"Nah, don't worry about it. You did it for your family, you're not that bad after all," Naruto said, giving him a genuine smile.

"Thanks, kid. You, too," Tazuna smiled, smiling back.

Naruto and Sakura went up to their room. Naruto offered to sleep on the floor but Sakura declined.

"You just healed, and the floor is cold. Besides, it's not like we haven't slept together before," Sakura reasoned, her voice teasing.

"Fine," he said, climbing in bed with her.

They had their backs at each other to avoid any eye contact. Sakura fell asleep immediately but Naruto was still wide awake, deep in his thoughts. He was thinking about what to do when Tazuna explained about their situation. He was ready to help but he thought about Sakura. He didn't want her to get hurt. Naruto sighed. He knew he had to help Tazuna and his family, every fiber of his body was screaming for him to help the old man. It was in his nature to help anyone in need, even his enemies. But there was Sakura- the ambush was enough proof for him that they were all in danger and he would do anything to get Sakura home to her parents, especially to her mother as his thanks for her helping him when no one else did. He didn't even want to think about what would happen had he not taken the blow meant for his love.

He looked at Sakura beside him who was sleeping peacefully. She lies on her side facing him; one arm was under her pillow. Her hair forms a halo around her head. Naruto smiled at that. She _was_ an angel to him. He didn't know what he would've done if he hadn't met her. Maybe his life would be as miserable as when he was born, maybe he wouldn't have been made a Genin, maybe the Kyuubi's darkness would have consumed him and Konoha would have been in ruins by now, or maybe he would _never_ have had _friends_. He thanked Kami and whatever earthly force he could think of that Sakura had saved him from being beaten up. She had always been his angel- his savior. He knew if he lost her, Konoha would be in ruins. He would allow the Kyuubi's darkness to consume him as his life would have no meaning in it without her. He loved her that much. If she dies, so will he.

He lay there for an hour or two until he finally came to a decision. Cupping her cheek gently, he whispered, "I will never let anything happen to you. I would sacrifice anything for you- even my own life."

Sakura unconsciously smiles though Naruto knew she was asleep. Leaning closer, he gently kissed the tip of her nose, causing her to sigh. Naruto chuckled silently at that before closing his eyes and falling asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 24

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

 _ **A/N: Hey, everyone! This chapter is going to be a real treat to all those who are hoping for some hot, kinky NaruSaku action! Just a little warning, though, this has a BDSM theme so if you're not into these kinds of things, just skip until the end. There's something important happening. By the way, it's the 27**_ _ **th**_ _ **of January here in my country and it's my birthday. HAHAHA! Yeah, I'm turning 16 today so Happy Birthday to me! So… enjoy, everyone!**_

* * *

 _Sakura was walking. She didn't know why or where she was going. She just kept walking. The place was unfamiliar to her though she felt like she had been there before. She was currently walking on a road to nowhere. A forest with trees where surrounding the road she was walking on._

 _She continued to walk. She didn't know why- she just did. She felt a strong urge to just continue walking. Like there was something waiting for her at the end of the road. She_ did _feel like something or someone was waiting for her at the end of the road._

 _Everything was so silent. Sakura couldn't hear anything but her breathing and her heart pounding in anticipation. She didn't know what to expect. What was waiting for her at the end of the road? Was it even a_ what _? Or was it a_ who _? She didn't know._

 _She merely continued walking. And after a few more minutes of those, she saw a huge shadow up ahead. Walking closer, she noticed it looked like Tazuna's house. She immediately became confused. Of all the places she could go to or of all the things that could be waiting for her, why this? What is happening? What is going to happen?_

 _She approached the front door. Hesitantly, she grabbed the rusted doorknob and forced herself to push it open._

 _Nothing. There was nothing in the house- just darkness. She looked around- still nothing._

" _Naruto? Sasuke? Sensei?" she called, her voice barely above a whisper. Still nothing. No one answered her. She could hear nothing. There was no one there._

 _Sighing disappointedly, she turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin. Behind her- or now in front of her- was Naruto. She sighed again, this time in relief. "Naruto. How long have you been there?" she queried._

 _Naruto cocked his head to the side, an indication that he was confused. "What are you talking about? I've been waiting for you. You're late." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot, looking irritated._

 _This time, it was Sakura's turn to be confused. "What? You've been waiting for me?"_

 _Naruto smiled though it didn't mean he was happy. He was smiling malevolently. "Why, of course, my dear."_

 _Suddenly, Sakura understood._

 _As soon as he did, though, he pushed her harshly inside the house and she was falling through the darkness. She screamed but it was short lived as she soon landed on something soft. The darkness still surrounded her, though. Pushing herself on a sitting position, it took her a second to realize that she was on a bed before vines grabbed at her wrists and ankles. She shrieked with surprise as the vines pulled taut at her limbs, making her spread eagle on the bed. Her restraints prevented any movement by her arms and legs._

 _She waited in anticipation. If this was one of those dreams of hers, she could only wait in anticipation at what Naruto had in store for her this time. She was forced to lay still and she instantly stopped moving, her body forced into submission. As soon as she did, she heard a chuckle at the end of the bed._

 _Naruto emerged from the darkness, a smirk playing at his lips. He was only wearing black trousers and robe. The robe was opened, displaying his well built body. "Good girl, Sakura. You pleased your master greatly."_

 _Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. This was new. It excited her and at the same time terrified her. It was one of those BDSM situations where she was now playing the role of a submissive. It sent a thrill through her at the thought of Naruto playing her dominant._

 _He approached her slowly, building her anticipation even more. "Come on, kitten. Why are you so silent? That is rude, you know. What do you say when your master addresses you?" he said huskily, his hand reaching out to grab her leg._

 _Sakura gasped at the contact. His hand was so warm on her skin it sent a wave of pleasure coursing through her veins. When he squeezed, though, she knew she had to say something. "Y-Yes, master…" she said, her choice of words making her panties wet._

" _Good… you are such a good girl, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, rubbing her thigh. His hand was dangerously close to her nether regions. He rubbed at her skin unhurriedly, making her shiver._

" _A-Arigato gozaimasu, master," Sakura stuttered. By now, her panties were drenched and she became impatient at the slow pace Naruto was maintaining. She wanted him to take her now! "P-Please, master…" she whimpered._

 _Naruto smirked. He slowly crawled up the bed towards her, his hand still on her thigh, still rubbing slowly. He hovered over her, his face nearing hers. "What do you want, pet?" he whispered in her ear. He began rubbing up and down her leg, each time his hand going higher and higher until such point where he was rubbing her inner thigh. Sakura moaned with each caress. "N-Naruto-kun…" she moaned._

 _Naruto stopped rubbing and gripped her thigh tightly. "What did you call me, pet?" he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What did I tell you about addressing me?"_

 _He snapped his fingers. The vines twisted her body until she was facing downwards and on her hands and knees. Sakura shrieked at the sudden and rough handling, her nether regions wet with fear. "G-Gomenasai… master…" she whispered helplessly._

 _Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance. "That's not how we work, remember? If you do something bad, I punish you so you can learn from your mistakes. You must remember, kitten, I am your_ master _."_

 _Sakura whimpered helplessly. In a flash, her shorts and panties were ripped away from her hips. She was left with only her usual dress to cover her but was teasing her nether regions. The cool air nipped at her skin and she shivered. She felt shifting behind her and she forced herself not to look back at Naruto lest she be punished some more- whatever her punishment was. The lower half of her dress was lifted, revealing the creamy skin of her ass and her lower lips which were slick with her juices, lubricating her entrance._

Wham!

 _Sakura shrieked as a hand landed painfully on her ass cheek. Then she gasped in surprise as the act_ actually _turned her on even more. The experience was unbelievable. She was feeling both pain and pleasure._

" _Keep your mouth shut, kitten. You will only speak when spoken to and you will address me as master. Is… that… clear… pet?" He punctuated each word with a slap on the ass._

 _Sakura whimpered in pain and pleasure and nodded._

 _A hard slap landed on both her ass cheeks. "Answer me!"_

" _Y-Yes, master. I-I understand perfectly, master."_

 _Naruto huffed, pleased. "Good. Now… how about a reward for being such a good, obedient girl? What do you think, pet?" he whispered, his breath on her ear. He grinded his crotch onto hers, earning him a moan from the submissive girl._

" _Y-Yes, please, master," she sighed happily._

" _Good. Very good." Then he was gone again as the bed shifted on his weight. Sakura groaned at the loss of contact._

 _Naruto chuckled. "Patience, kitten. Well, I guess I need to teach you one more thing today. Don't come unless I say so," he growled._

 _Slowly- ever so slowly- he caressed her ass cheeks, squeezing every now and then. Sakura moaned, surprised at the transition of rough handling to soft caresses. Just then she felt something rough and wet on her nether lips. She moaned loudly and bit her lip to keep from screaming out in pleasure._

 _Naruto's tongue lapped up the juices that had been dripping down her legs. He planted a kiss on her inner thigh. "You are so wet, kitten. You are such a naughty girl. You like how I handle you, kitten? Do you like me doing… this?" He then proceeded to grip her thighs- hard- and force his tongue through her pussy, diving deeply. Sakura screamed out her pleasure but instantly kept her mouth shut._

" _It's okay, pet. You can scream out any time. I love hearing your pleasured noises," he growled against her pussy, making her shudder._

" _A-Arigato, master." She was immediately silenced when Naruto began to devour her. Her moans, mewls, gasps, sighs, pleasured whimpers, and other noises echoed throughout the darkness._

 _At some point, her arms turned to jelly and gave out. Her face fell on the pillow, raising her ass high in the air. She didn't mind, though. She couldn't complain about anything given her lust-bridled mind. All she cared about was the pleasure that the man eating her out gave her. But she wanted more. Every time his tongue would plunge in her orifice, she grinded her pussy, causing his tongue to go deeper and his lower lip to bump on her clit. She sighed giddily, her brain unable to form any coherent thought. She couldn't even remember her name. All she knew was pleasure._

 _She was close, she knew. She felt the now familiar knot in her belly grow, leaving her panting and begging for release. She moaned her loudest that night- day? Afternoon? She didn't know. All she knew was the now. Suddenly, he pulled back, leaving Sakura to grind on air. She groaned in disappointment, lost in sexual anguish. She clenched her fists and bit down on the pillow to prevent from screaming at her master._

" _Now, now, pet. What did I tell you about patience?" Naruto asked patiently, contrary to Sakura's impatient whimpers. Then he was gone._

 _Sakura groaned into the pillow before gasping as she felt something as big as a finger but rougher and longer penetrated her inner walls. Looking back, she saw her master grinning at her and holding something green in his hand, thrusting it in and out of her. Sakura moaned as she realized that he was fucking her with a vine. It felt weird but not uncomfortable. In fact, it gave as much pleasure to her as her master's finger, only it was longer. It almost felt like a little dick. She met the vine thrust for thrust, giving as good as she got. Her mind was hazy, she wanted to come so bad but her master wasn't going to have any of it._

 _Suddenly, something poked at her rear end. She gasped aloud. "M-Master…" she asked, whimpering. Naruto merely kissed her on her ass cheeks which sent shivers throughout her body. "Try not to come, kitten. And please stay still," he said in a rough voice. Then he stuck his tongue in her anus. Sakura screamed at the intrusion of both her holes and almost fell completely on the bed but tried to stay upright lest her master stop what he was doing. She ground her hips to meet every thrust of the vine and tongue, rolling her hips at the same time. She was moaning so loud she felt like fainting. It was sooo good! She had never felt anything like it before. Her master was thrusting the vine into her pussy alternately with his tongue in her backside._

 _The fire in her belly grew into an inferno and she felt like coming. Almost out of desperation, she quickened the grinding of her hips as her master also quickened the pace he was setting on her. She felt drunk in pleasure as she closed her eyes, feeling her orgasm approaching quickly._

 _As if sensing her impending climax, Naruto pulled out his tongue and the vine. Sakura screamed, "No! Please… master!" she grinded her hips uselessly in the air, her whole body quaking uncontrollably._

 _Her master placed feather light kisses on her nether lips and caressed them with his fingers. "You're still not allowed to come , remember? Did you learn your lesson now, pet?" he growled in her ear._

 _Sakura nodded quickly. "Yes, master. Gomenasai for my rudeness, master!" she whimpered, her tears falling on her pillow. The inferno in her belly kept roaring, wanting to be released and Sakura wanted nothing than being allowed to release._

 _Naruto's fingers barely penetrated her entrance, occasionally pinching her clit which caused her to jerk her hips upwards. Naruto gripped her hip with one hand while the other was busy teasing her. He bent down to her ear. "Don't move, kitten," he ordered, squeezing her hip. Sakura nodded into the pillow, her eyes closed in anticipation._

 _Letting go of her hip, both his hands parted her nether lips which squirted more of her juices, coating his fingers immediately with her nectar. Sakura moaned but stayed still, dutifully obeying her master's order. She heard the sound of a zipper and she opened her eyes and looked back. As soon as she did, she noticed her lover, naked as the day as he was born. He was smirking at her while her eyes dropped to his package. It was_ huge _! Her eyes widened. Can that really fit in her? Did she really care? Nope. She had gone too far in her pleasure to stop._

" _Like what you see, pet?" he asked._

 _Sakura nodded her head, biting her lip. Naruto groaned. "Oh, I love it when you do that, you little minx." With a snap of his fingers, she heard a ripping sound. When she looked down at her body, she noticed that her dress was ripped in the middle, leaving her front bare. Her breasts hung from the now useless dress that barely covered the important parts of her body. Naruto gripped the tattered dress and pulled it aside so that he could grip on her breasts. As soon as he did, Sakura let out a keening moan as her breasts were being played. He massaged her firm breasts and twisted and pulled at her erect nipples. He nibbled on the side of her neck and he pulled her against his body firmly using her breasts. Sakura's mouth formed an 'O' then her tongue lolled out when her lover sucked on her neck. Her head rolled back and twisted to the side to capture her lover's mouth, engaging him in a furious battle of tongues._

 _With her fully distracted, she didn't notice Naruto positioning his steel rod in her hungry pussy. He jerked his hips upward._

 _Sakura removed her mouth from his and screamed. She had never felt like this before. She felt so full, so_ complete _. She was finally united with her lover. She felt like he belonged there, inside her. He hit every sensitive spot his fingers and tongue could reach but all at once. Granted, she knew it was only a dream but her dream was as vivid as reality. She could feel herself being stretched as her tight cunt tried to accommodate to the size of her well-endowed lover. She promised herself that as soon as she had a chance to talk to Naruto in reality, she'll confess to him so that they could be together and she could have endless, mind-blowing sex, anywhere and anytime she wants. Masturbation would not be needed anymore._

 _She was snapped out of her reverie when Naruto began to thrust in and out of her in a furious pace, finally done with his teasing. He pulled out almost completely before slamming back inside her. He rammed in and out of her, intent on making her come._

" _Oh… you feel so good, kitten! You have such a tight pussy that just begs to be fucked," Naruto groaned then resumed his task of leaving love marks on her neck._

" _OH! Fuck me, master! Oh, please, master, let me come! I love it when you fuck me hard, master!" Sakura screamed._

" _You are such a little slut, kitten. You are such a naughty girl, kitten. You are so wet and tight, I love it! I'm going to fuck you until your eyes roll in the back of your head. You want that, don't you, kitten? You want me to fuck you until you're so sore you can't stand for a month!"_

" _Yes, give it to me, master! I am your little slut! Your fuck toy! Fuck me, master! I am such a naughty girl, master. Punish me!"_

 _Naruto quickened his pace, bringing one hand to fondle her clit, making her scream once more. She met his every rough thrust, intent on making herself come. The sound of skin slapping on skin echoed through the darkness as two lust-crazed lovers fucked each other senseless._

 _Then Sakura felt it again for hopefully the last time. The knot in her belly tightened again and she felt her climax nearing._

" _OHH! MASTER! I'm coming, master! I'm coming! Deeper, faster, HARDER!" She begged._

 _In response, Naruto pushed her back until she bent over and rammed in and out of her hungry pussy almost desperately. With the position, he drove himself deeper in her, filling her to the brunt. "You can come now, pet. Come with me!" he demanded._

 _As soon as he said that, her impending orgasm came. It was so intense given all the stimulation she received from her master. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell on the bed. She felt Naruto squirt his semen inside her. She squeezed her inner walls around his still spurting cock, milking him for all he is. Naruto groaned aloud and finally stopped squirting._

 _He collapsed on her lithe frame, the vines on her wrists and ankles disappearing. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her sweaty back and neck. Sakura sighed, exhausted. She wrapped a hand around Naruto's neck, savoring his warmth on her body._

" _I love you, Sakura-chan," he whispered against her skin._

 _Choking on her tears, Sakura turned her head and looked into his eyes. She saw his eyes full of love for her she wondered if she was the same guy that was her master only moments ago._

 _She smiled at him and kissed him on the lips tenderly. "I love you, too, Naruto-kun," she said, her voice cracking._

 _Naruto grinned mischievously back at her. "Tell that to_ him _, will ya?"_

 _Before Sakura could ask about who he was talking about, she fell into the darkness once more._

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes to see blue ones staring right back at hers. Her eyes widened as she sat up immediately.

She had been sleeping on top of Naruto, her drool on his shirt.

Blushing furiously, she said, "I-I'm…. oh, Kami… gomenasai, Naruto." She began to move away before he grabbed her elbow and looked straight into her eyes.

"Naruto?" she asked, confused. He was silent, as if contemplating something.

Without warning, he pulled her towards him and planted his lips firmly on hers. Sakura's eyes widened before closing. Her arms flew around his neck and she deepened the kiss. His arms went around her waist, pulling her closer.

They lay there, exploring each other's mouth thoroughly. Naruto pulled away, causing Sakura to pout and whimper. He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. When he looked into her eyes, she was surprised to see them shining with so much love in them she thought she was going to drown.

"I love you, too, Sakura-chan."


	25. Chapter 25

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 25

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Kakashi sent a message to the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha via his familiar, Pakkun, a small brown pug. The Sandaime was smoking his pipe one cloudy day when a small puff of smoke appeared beside him. When it cleared, it revealed a small but familiar dog. It had a scroll on its right leg.

"Pakkun, what brings you here today?" the old Hokage asked.

"Kakashi asked me to give you this, Hokage-sama," the dog said, gesturing to the scroll tied to its leg.

The Hokage reached for the scroll and untied it from the dog. Pakkun waited for the signal from the Hokage for him to take his leave. The Sandaime noticed this and immediately dismissed the dog, saying thank you. After the dog left in a puff of smoke, he opened the scroll and read its contents.

It read:

 _Hokage-sama,_

 _I wrote to report something that concerns the mission you entrusted upon us. First of all, I would like to inform and reassure you that all of us are in great shape and we are here in Tazuna's house. But I can't tell you that we are not in danger._

 _It started a few days after we left Konoha, when we just arrived at the Wave. We were ambushed by missing-nins and Naruto was seriously injured. Not to worry, he has recovered quickly- I suspect because of the Kyuubi inside him- and is in great condition right now. It turns out, Tazuna lied about the mission ranking because he couldn't afford a B-rank mission. Though we are a little shocked about this, we understand the dilemma he is facing at the moment._

 _There is this man named Gato who killed his son-in-law for standing up to him and he and his family is being targeted now by said man and his goons. He is rich and powerful so we have no doubt he will easily bring Tazuna down along with his grandson and daughter._

 _We know perfectly well what the consequences are when one lies about a mission rank. I will be training my team, I assure you. We will be here for a while and we are hoping that you will allow us to stay and help Tazuna. And if not, we are willing to pay for the B-rank mission._

 _We kindly ask for your consideration, Hokage-sama._

 _Hatake Kakashi_

Hiruzen sighed. He can't believe Tazuna had deceived them. But after reading the letter, he came to understand why Tazuna did what he did. He was poor but he was willing to protect his family. Hiruzen understood his reason very much. He knew he'd also do the same thing for his family.

But he was worried about the Genins. He knew they could take care of themselves but he was afraid they would get hurt. He came to think of them as his own, especially Naruto. He promised his late parents that he would protect him in any way possible.

But he also had faith in Kakashi. He said he would train them and when something bad happens, he will make sure to protect the Genins. The Jounin was talented and intelligent when it comes to combat, not to mention that Sharingan enhances those skills. He was one of the best in his batch and was also a previous ANBU.

But he still couldn't shake away the feeling that something bad is going to happen. He hopes he is wrong.

Sighing, he took out a pen and parchment and began to write a reply.

* * *

"I love you, too, Sakura-chan," Naruto said in a low voice though it was full of emotion.

Sakura gasped as tears welled in her eyes. Naruto began to panic, wondering if he said something he shouldn't have. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "Don't cry, Sakura-chan. I can't stand to see you sad," he whispered in her ear.

Sakura shook her head from his chest, her hair tickled his nose. She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. "No, it's not that. These are happy tears, Naruto. I'm just so happy." She lunged at him and kissed him longingly.

When she pulled back, she asked, "So… are we…?"

Naruto smiled teasingly. "It depends. Why? What do you want?"

Sakura smiled tenderly at him. "You."

"Then you'll have me as long as I'll have you."

Sakura nodded giddily. "It's a deal, then."

Naruto laughed and proceeded to kiss her again. They kissed each other with such passion and ardor that they closed off their awareness to the surroundings and only focused on each other.

They were so consumed by each other, they didn't notice that they fell on the bed together with Sakura on top… and that Sasuke had opened the door only to have his jaw drop at the sight. Kakashi was asking behind him what the matter was but he could not form any coherent word to answer his sensei. Kakashi peaked from behind him and had to stifle a laugh. His students were on the bed with Sakura on top, their hands wandering over each other's bodies as they examined each other's tonsils. They were pressed against each other and he could see a bulging tent on Naruto's crotch. Sakura's hand gripped the bulge which earned a groan from the blond. In turn, his hands fondled with Sakura's breasts through her nightgown.

Not wanting to seem like a voyeur, looking at his students express their love to each other, he forced himself to look away and his eyes found Sasuke.

The usually emotionless Uchiha was as red as a tomato, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he gripped the sputtering Sasuke on the shoulders and pulled him away from the scene while closing the door. And like the grown-up he is, he left his students to their own devices, sure that they won't do anything inappropriate- not counting the caresses they gave each other.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura didn't notice anything and continued to love each other thoroughly. But when Sakura's hand on Naruto's crotch was proving too much for the blond, he pulled away hesitantly and he took away his hands from their pleasurable places on her breasts. Sakura moaned at the loss and tried to pull him back to her.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto admonished softly.

Sakura pouted at him, "Naruto-kun…" she shot back at him.

Naruto chuckled lightly at her. "Gomenasai, I had to. Who knows how far we would've gone."

Sakura's eyes shone with mischief. "Why? How far do you think we can go?" She then squeezed his erect member which, Naruto surmised, was still in her hand.

Naruto groaned and pulled her hand away from his crotch. "No, we can't…"

"Why not?"

"They could hear us. You don't want to inconvenience our hosts, do ya? And, besides, here's a kid barely ten years-old living here!"

Sakura sighed exasperatedly. "Fine." She got off him and attempted to smooth the creases on her clothing.

She got off the bed, saying, "I'm going to shower first." Then with a wicked grin, she added, "Unless you want to join me." She made a show of turning her back to him and slapping her rear. She disappeared into the bathroom, giggling.

Naruto groaned. "Minx…" he muttered, glaring at the tent on his pants.

* * *

"Well, good morning, both of you. I see you finally decided to show up," Kakashi casually said from the couch.

Sasuke added, "I don't think they just had a _good_ morning, sensei. I take it was a _great_ morning. Wouldn't you agree, dobe?"

At this, Sakura's face reddened some more while Naruto coughed to cover his embarrassment. Sasuke and Kakashi shared a playful smirk. When Sakura noticed this, she rolled her eyes. She understood they just wanted to see tease them or more importantly, Naruto.

"Come on, you two. Stop embarrassing Naruto," she scolded.

Naruto turned his eyes to his best friend and sensei and gave them a murderous glare. If only looks could kill, they'd already been decapitated. But no one noticed the mischievous twinkle behind his glare.

Kakashi coughed and began to turn serious. "I've already sent a request to the Hokage last night to stay here and help Tazuna and his family. If my calculations are correct, the message will be arriving-" he was cut off.

"Now," Naruto informed nonchalantly as a noble looking eagle flew into the room by the window and dropped a scroll on his outstretched hand.

The eagle then exited the room, leaving an anxious team. Kakashi unrolled the scroll and read its contents. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I take it he permitted us?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi nodded and read the message aloud.

 _Kakashi,_

 _I am having mixed feelings towards this. I feel conflicted that Tazuna would trick us like this after what we have done for him but at the same time, I understand his plight. I probably would do what he did if my family were in danger. I grant you permission to finish the mission though I am making this an A-rank mission. I'll give you the rest of the month to finish this._

 _I entrust the Genins to you and I hope you will not fail this. I agree to training your team for the remainder of the mission but I can't guarantee that and village reinforcements will be sent. The village elders forbid it. However, I am going to speak to Jiraiya about this matter. Expect him to arrive there in a few days. He will be helping your mission and training the Genins._

 _You and I both know how dangerous this mission is so please don't make any rash decisions. Speaking of which, take care that Naruto returns here in one piece._

 _I hope only negotiations will solve this conflict and if possible, please avoid any fights._

 _Sarutobi Hiruzen,  
Sandaime Hokage_

 _P.S. Don't mention this to your students but I can guess Jiraiya will be focusing on Naruto's training more than the other two. He'll be looking forward to meeting his godson._

Kakashi kept his mouth shut after the closing, silently reading the postscript. He understood what the Hokage meant. Jiraiya should be the one to explain things to Naruto.

Sakura's eyes widened. "An A-rank?"

Kakashi solemnly replied, "With what's happened I'm not in the least bit surprised that he made it an A-rank. This will get dangerous. You all know that, right?"

Sasuke and Sakura nodded silently but Naruto seemed confused.

"Sensei, who's Jiraiya?" Naruto queried.

Kakashi merely glanced at him and said, "You'll know soon enough. In the meantime, meet me out in the backyard." And he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

Naruto glanced at his friends, confused, who merely gave him shrugs. With a shake of his head, he disappeared the same way Kakashi had departed to see the older man by a tree with a little orange book in his hand.

The area was a clearing in the forest with a huge lake in the middle of it. The trees were scattered around the forest floor without coming near the lake. The area had been cleared of weeds to allow easy access to the ground. Jagged rocks were surrounding the lake. Three dummies had been lined at the edge of the lake parallel to Kakashi.

Naruto took a step to look closer at the book but managed to catch its title on the cover before Kakashi stuffed it in his pouch. Naruto's face scrunched up in thought then disgust as the title lit a bulb in his head.

He groaned loudly. "Don't tell me you actually like that! Wait, no, don't tell me. Ugh... you're such a pervert! Out of all the books to read out there, you just had to pick that, didn't you?!"

Kakashi looked at him with mirth in his eyes. "Speak for yourself. You sound like you've read it before," Kakashi sneered behind his mask but it was clear in his tone.

"No, I don't! And even if I did read that, I wouldn't do it in public, especially with minors about! You're giving off a bad influence to children!" the last part was said dramatically. Naruto gave him a mock scolding glare.

"What are you two arguing about?" Sasuke said, appearing behind Naruto. Sakura was right behind him.

"You don't wanna know," Naruto muttered.

Kakashi just shrugged and approached them. "Let's get down to business. First thing's first. Do some calisthenics for the next thirty minutes then we'll move on to our first lesson," Kakashi proclaimed.

Naruto's eyes shone with determination at being able to become stronger. They almost had a greedy glint in them for hearing the word lesson.

"For the next few weeks, we will focus on your physical strengths like your offence, defense, your agility, resourcefulness, reflexes, senses, precision, stamina, dexterity, and lots more; your intellect which should be no problem for the Top 3 in their batch; your knowledge of jutsus and other techniques in a given situation; and chakra building," Kakashi continues.

"Now, strategy is an essential part of a shinobi's offence. You have to anticipate what type of jutsus will your opponents pull off, what elements they excel at and how to counter them. You should put also put in mind of your location, position, or place when in battle. You have to expect the unexpected whether you're on land or on water.

"For instance, you are in engaged in a battle on land. Your opponent is out of sight, waiting to attack you. First, focus on your surroundings. Scan the area. Is he on your right? Your left? Behind you? Above you? Or below you? Make no mistake. We are shinobis. We can be below the earth. If you're sure he is not above ground, do not hesitate to attack below. Even if he is not underneath you, if you put a lot of power into that attack, the ground will still shake and can cause him distraction or surprise and will reveal his position.

"Now, in a team battle, as you all know, is a great offence with teamwork. Who will attack? Who will defend? Who will heal an injured teammate? That is why we are in teams, to build up out individual skills and at the same time, share them with others to help them.

"Speaking of which- you, Sakura, will be taking lessons with Tsunami and myself in between training hours on the basics of first aid and healing abilities. Since your mother's a kunoichi, I trust it will be no problem with you. We will be training for at least nine hours a day every morning while I teach you jutsus during afternoons. Understood?"

"Hai, sensei!" they chanted together.

"Good, now start stretching then jog around the lake three times."

Then he sat down under a tree and pulled out his orange pocketbook from his pouch. Snickering silently like the pervert he is, he continued where he left off…


	26. Chapter 26

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 26

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

First day of training was, in every sense, grueling. Kakashi had them on the forest floor within half an hour.

Their muscles ached with every move and their breathing came in short panting breaths. Their arms and legs were throbbing from the exercise and sweat covered their bodies. Their heartbeats imitated the sound of a herd of horses running down a hill. Despite this, Naruto forced himself to sit up and glare at his sensei.

"That was exhausting! Even I don't push myself that hard. What are you trying to do?! Kill us?!" Naruto said in between breaths. Kakashi chuckled.

"Come now, calisthenics were the only the first part of your training. Within a week you'll be doing calisthenics in an hour. That was only 30 minutes and we still have our first lesson," he said innocently.

Groaning, Sasuke glanced at him. "Can we at least drink some water?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Suit yourselves. Three minute break it is."

Muscles throbbing, they slowly stood up and disappeared to the house. They each gulped down two glasses of water. Sighing, Naruto plopped down on the couch. "We haven't even begun the real training and I'm already sore. He is going to be the death of me," he grumbled loudly.

"Of _us_ , you mean," Sakura collapsed beside him.

Sasuke sat down on the couch in front of them.

"No wonder he and Gai-sensei were rivals. They both do the same in everything they do!" Naruto mused.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"We saw Gai-sensei the other day with his team. He had them walk around the village on their hands as a warm up," Sasuke chuckled.

Sakura giggled at that as Naruto snickered at the memory.

"Ne, Naruto, what were you arguing about with sensei earlier?" Sasuke inquired.

Naruto groaned in remembrance. "Thanks for reminding me, teme," his voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Why? Is it that bad?" Sakura was clearly worried.

"The guy's a freaking pervert!"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"His pocketbook," Naruto said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The word rung a bell in Sasuke's mind. He gulped. "You mean... he's reading..."

Naruto nodded and covered his mouth from Sakura's direction and mouthed, "Icha Icha."

The words, though not said out loud, made Sasuke shudder. Sakura looked back and forth between them.

"Uh... what?" she said, confused.

"T-Tell her, Naruto..." Sasuke stammered, obviously on the verge of insanity. The memories reminded him of the traumatic experience thus rendering him almost speechless.

"Are you crazy?!" Naruto whispered loudly.

"Dobe, she d-deserves to know. This is our sensei we're talking about."

Naruto gulped as he glanced at Sakura's anticipating features.

"D-Don't judge me, please."

Sakura arched an eyebrow. "I'll try," she said in truth.

Naruto gulped again.

* * *

 _Nine year-old boys, Naruto and Sasuke, were walking down the streets of the village. When they reached an alley, however, a sight greeted them. A fat woman wearing a nightgown and slippers and had curlers on her head was waving a little orange book in front of a kneeling man with graying hair and shaggy pajamas._

 _"What did I tell you about reading this trash in front of the children?!" she screeched._

 _People surrounding them stopped what they're doing and watched the scene unfold. Some women appeared like they knew what was going on and watched the man quiver under his wife's form in amusement. The men gaped silently at their fellow male._

 _The man gulped nervously as he saw the villager's stares. "I-I swear, dear, I didn't notice them wake up. I swear, I woke up before dawn to read downstairs but I didn't notice them until they were behind the couch. Please, honey, don't throw it away. I-I'll read it out of the house this time. Just don't throw it away, please."_

 _The woman gaped at him, silently seething. "I SWEAR! I DON'T GET WHY MEN LOVE TO READ THIS TRASH! KAMI-SAMA! AND TO THINK THE AUTHOR WAS THE TOAD SAGE! THAT'S IT! YOU ARE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR AND YOU WILL_ NEVER _GET TO READ THIS EVER AGAIN!"_

 _She threw the book in a nearby dumpster as she ignored her husband's wails. She turned to him, grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him towards their front door. Naruto and Sasuke just stared back at them in amusement, curiosity, and astonishment._

 _"Woah, what's with that book anyway?" Naruto asked his friend. Sasuke merely shrugged. Unsatisfied, Naruto approached the dumpster cautiously so as to avoid getting caught._

 _"Naruto, what the hell are you doing?!" Sasuke whispered loudly at him to get his attention._

 _"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking a quick peek!" He reached the dumpster, reached in carefully, and fished out the little orange book that the woman threw moments ago. He held it with extreme caution, as if the book will explode any second. Sasuke approached him and took a quick look at the cover. "Icha Icha Paradise?"_

 _Naruto stared at the cover curiously. "Why is it titled Make-Out Paradise? What's a 'make-out'?" Sasuke shrugged again. Naruto flipped the book to see the back cover and he saw a circle with a slash sign in the middle. He opened the book to a random page and what he saw made him blush furiously and close the book again. Now, he's scarred for life._

 _"What? What is it?" Sasuke asked._

 _Naruto gulped at him nervously. "A-Are you s-sure you want t-to know?" he asked his friend._

 _"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't."_

 _Naruto shakily gave him the book. Sasuke peered at it curiously before opening it into a random page as well. What he saw made him widen his eyes and freeze in shock. There was a drawing of a man and a woman in a... passionate embrace... or a... provocative position. He doesn't know what to think anymore and he can't bring himself to close the book, but rather, he turned page after page as words and pictures began to dirty his minor mind._

 _Not able to handle the R-rated scenes in the book, he promptly fainted. Naruto took this chance to take the book from his hands and toss them in the dumpster again. He was horrified at the sight of his friend's face when he started turning more pages. He looked like he was about to throw up. He was glad he stopped when he had the chance or it could have been him instead of Sasuke who fainted._

* * *

Sakura blanched as Naruto shared the explicit scenes he saw from the book. Even Sasuke looked sheet-white when he relived those embarrassing moments in his life. Naruto avoided eye contact with them. Silence and awkwardness encased them for a few moments.

"So... you read everything?" Sakura's voice squeaked in the end.

Naruto blushed scarlet. "Y-Yeah."

"Why-Why didn't you stop?"

"I don't know... I-I guess I was on autopilot. I wasn't thinking. And besides, I was a kid! I was curious, dattebayo."

"And... Kakashi-sensei is a..."

Sakura trailed off and the three of them shuddered simultaneously. Just then, a poof was heard as smoke appeared at the center of the room. When the smoke cleared, Kakashi stood with his arms crossed and his eyes twinkled.

"So, I guess you are very well rested now. Why don't we go back outside? Our guest has arrived," Kakashi said.

The Genins piped up immediately and curiosity filled their veins. They knew who had arrived. Without further additions, they all disappeared in a puff of smoke. They reappeared in there temporary training grounds together. A man was standing before them with a huge grin on his face.

"Hello again, Jiraiya-sama. These are my students: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Genins, this is Jiraiya. He's one of Konohagakure's Sannin and is the Toad Sage," Kakashi said, indicating to his three students.

"Konichiwa, minna! How are you all doing today?" he greeted heartily. Jiraiya was a rather tall man with fair skin. He had a wart on the left side of his nose and waist-length, spiky white hair that was tied back into a pony tail, with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face. There were red lines under his eyes which extended further down his face going all the way to the bottom. His attire consisted of a green short shirt kimono and matching pants, under which he wore mesh armor that is visible at his wrists and ankles. He also wore hand guards, a black belt, traditional Japanese wooden sandals, and a red haori with two yellow circles on each side. He carried a large scroll on his back, and had a tattoo on his left palm, and he wore a horned forehead protector with the kanji for _oil_.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke bowed respectfully as they said in unison, "It's nice to meet you, Jiraiya-sama."

Just then, Naruto almost felt a light bulb flash above his head. "Wait… the Toad Sage?"

"Well, yes, I am," Jiraiya said.

The blond's eyes widened. "Y-You're the author of Icha Icha Paradise!"

Kakashi and Jiraiya blanched. Sasuke staggered while trying not to faint and Sakura gasped in shock. " _YOU_?!" she pointed at him.

Jiraiya turned to Kakashi who avoided his gaze. "Kakashi, how do they know about that? Have you been reading in front of them?!"

Kakashi remained silent. Jiraiya sighed, irritated. He turned to the shocked Genins. "Kids, that book is for adults only. So don't hold it against me, okay? It wasn't meant for your eyes. On the plus side, at least you won't need the talk about the birds and the bees, right?" Jiraiya said, laughing half-heartedly, almost as if it was forced. "So… let's move on."

His eyes travelled on the three of them, analyzing them, when they rested on Naruto. When he looked at Kakashi for confirmation, the Jonin only nodded. Grinning widely once again, Jiraiya turned back to a confused looking Naruto. He only ruffled his blond, spiky hair.

"Hey, there, kiddo. Kakashi's told me a lot about you along with your other teammates. He said you could perform a Kage Bunshin. Would you care to show me?" Jiraiya asked softly, as if he was speaking to one of his former students. Maybe he was, considering the boy is the spitting image of his father. But that story will come in another time.

Naruto grinned widely as he nodded in assent. It seemed like he immediately forgot about the blasted orange book. He stepped back a few feet and began to make a seal. He first closed his hands into fists and left out his middle and pointer fingers. He positioned his left hand horizontally behind his vertically positioned right hand.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he exclaimed. At once, hundreds of clones appeared, surrounding them.

His audience was left speechless. Though it wasn't the first time they saw shadow clones, it was their first view of how powerful a shinobi Naruto was. Jiraiya looked on proudly at every grinning clone with astonishment. Kakashi merely smiled. Sasuke was looking quite enviously at Naruto while Sakura had a look of surprise and a little hint of unbridled and unexpected lust on her face as she looked at Naruto. Apparently, powerful Naruto turned her on. As soon as she thought of how she reacted, she blushed crimson and tried to control her hormones. She was relieved Naruto didn't notice. He was grinning at Jiraiya.

"Not bad, Naruto. It was simply astounding. Well done," Jiraiya praised.

Blushing from the praise, Naruto merely shrugged and dispelled them once again with the hand seal. Sasuke stomped his way towards Naruto and slapped the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for, teme?!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head, glaring at Sasuke.

"That was for not teaching me. You never even told me you could summon a hundred or so clones!" Sasuke crossed his arms, bored once again.

"I didn't think it mattered! I thought anyone can do it."

"Well, of course, it matters, Naruto. No one has ever done what you did before because despite the fact that it was a Forbidden Jutsu, no one has the chakra or capacity to summon that much clones," Jiraiya stated.

"Strange, though, how did you come across a Forbidden Jutsu?" Kakashi asked.

Looking ashamed, Naruto looked away. "It's a... rather long story."

"Tell us, Naruto," Sakura said, approaching him. She put a hand on his shoulder to show her support.

When he heard Sakura's voice, he looked back at her. With Sakura asking, he wasn't sure he could really deny her anything she asks for. Sighing in defeat, he turned to look at them once again. "I... The day we graduated from the Academy, Mizuki-sensei approached me and requested me to grab something of his from the top floor of the Hokage tower. It was a request so I didn't refuse..." Naruto trailed off.

"Wait, wait, wait. Did you say top floor?! Naruto, that room was off-limits!" Kakashi chastised.

"Kakashi, hold on. Let him finish. Go on, Naruto," Jiraiya urged gently.

Nodding, Naruto recounted his tale. "… Iruka-sensei found me that night and we both took down Mizuki-sensei in the academy," Naruto finished.

"I saw the report on that incident but it's really different from your perspective, Naruto. Arigato for clarifying that one," Kakashi said.

Naruto nodded solemnly. Jiraiya saw a hint of shame and embarrassment in his eyes. Approaching him, he rested a hand on Naruto's head.

"Naruto, none of that is your fault. You're still growing up and learning. You shouldn't blame yourself for that incident. If anything, it's Mizuki's fault. Besides, something good came out if it, don't you think? You found a Forbidden Jutsu and mastered it. It's _your_ style now. It's what makes you special," Jiraiya said, smiling.

Smiling back, Naruto nodded. "Arigato, Jiraiya-sama!"

Jiraiya smiled at the boy then nodded. Turning to the others, he said, "Now you are probably wondering why I'm here, right?"

The three Genins nodded.

"Well, I was sent here by the Sandaime to aid you in your training. We are facing something big here and we should not be complacent. Kakashi and I will train you to the best of our abilities. After we're done with you, you'll have your elemental jutsus. On another note... Kakashi and I are planning on another type of training for you, Sakura- a special type of training."

Sakura cocked an eyebrow at the statement as the boys looked on curiously at her.

"What kind of training?" Sakura queried.

Jiraiya grinned. "Well, you do know your mother was a kunoichi, right? I'm sure she's given you basic training in the field. We're hoping to provide more training for you to be able to take care of your teammate's injuries. Kami-sama knows Kakashi can only do so much for you three."

Sakura's eyes widened in delight. "Really? That'd be great! Where'd you learn how to heal?"

"Have you heard of Senju Tsunade?"

Sakura gasped while Sasuke and Naruto looked on, interested. "You were taught by the world's strongest and best kunoichi as well as a Legendary Slug Sannin?"

Jiraiya gave out a booming laugh. "She was my teammate. I always get injured and she gets frustrated in having to heal me all the time so she taught me some of her knowledge. Now, shall we start?"

The three enthusiastically agreed.

"For today, we will focus on your individual abilities. With how your teamwork is, we will only need to polish it a little bit. Before the end of the day, we should already be able to discover your own abilities as well as capabilities. Sakura, why don't you sit down and watch for a little bit while Kakashi and I deal with the boys?"

Sakura nodded then stepped back a few steps then sat down on the grassy field.

"Now, Kakashi and I have jutsus to show you two. Sasuke will be taught by Kakashi while Naruto is with me."

Sasuke and Naruto separated then went on to their respective teachers.

"I'll start first," Kakashi said. Naruto sat down beside Sakura to watch his best friend's training. Jiraiya stood beside them with his arms crossed over his chest, observing the Jonin and Genin.

"Now, Sasuke, pay attention."

Kakashi pulled out a litmus paper out of his pouch and handed it to Sasuke. "This is a litmus paper. It reacts to each elemental chakra differently. There are only five basic types of chakra elemental natures. They are fire, wind, water, lightning, and earth. The Five Great Nations are named after these elements and they form the foundation of all ninjutsu. Most people's chakra naturally leans towards a certain element. If it's fire, the paper will ignite and turn into ash. If it's wind, the paper will split in two. If it's lightning, the paper will wrinkle. If it's earth, the paper will turn into dirt and crumble away. And if it's water, the paper will become damp. Now, put the paper in you palm and focus your chakra on it."

Sasuke put the paper on his palm and did as Kakashi told him to do. When his palm began to emit a blue flame, the paper wrinkled.

"Well, I guess your chakra property is lightning release. I can sense that you're similar to me so I will teach you my signature justu. It's called the Chidori. First, gather lightning in your hand. You will know you've done it correctly when the high concentration of electricity produces a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping. But I have to warn you, this should not be used constantly as the lightning chakra has been shown on occasions to damage the user's hand, peeling the skin and causing it to smolder slightly, but this does not appear to actually be debilitating. I only managed to use it constantly with my Sharingan. In your case, you didn't have your Sharingan awakened yet." Kakashi uncovered his left eye to reveal his Sharingan.

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. "Wait. I think I already did, sensei."

Now, it was Kakashi's turn to widen his eyes. "Really? When? I haven't seen you use it."

Sasuke nodded. "It was years ago. I was facing Itachi after... after... that... night. But I guess I was so traumatized, I passed out and thought it was a dream."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Can you activate it?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't tried. I didn't know I could so I didn't bother."

"Try."

Sasuke hesitantly nodded then closed his eyes to focus. He began to channel chakra into his eyes. After a few seconds, he felt some shifting in his eyes and opened them. He looked at Kakashi. "I did it, didn't I?"

His eyes were red and the iris was encased in a black circle with one tomoe. Kakashi nodded in approval. "You did. Well done, Sasuke. Why don't you show it to your teammates?"

Sasuke turned around to look at Naruto and Sakura then smiled sheepishly. Sakura smiled at him in pride while Naruto sported a wide grin and gave him a thumbs-up, saying, "Way to go, teme. I knew you could do it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, dobe." Naruto chuckled. His best friend was never one to show emotions.

Sasuke turned back to Kakashi.

"Now, the Chidori. Let's try it with seals first. Perform the Ox, Hare, and Monkey seals then hold your left wrist with your right hand. While doing so, focus chakra on your palm."

Sasuke did so. When he held his left wrist and focused chakra on it, his left palm glowed blue with lightning and produced the sound of a thousand birds chirping.

"Great job, Sasuke. Now, attack one of those dummies using it."

Sasuke turned to one of the dummies on the field and ran towards the middle one, thrusting his left hand towards it. The dummy was pierced into half. The upper part of the dummy's body fell to the ground as Sasuke's Chidori disappeared. Sasuke turned back to his team then grinned widely. _'I did it!'_ he exclaimed silently.

Kakashi nodded in pride, Jiraiya gave out another booming laugh, and Naruto and Sakura cheered. "Well done, Sasuke. Now, you practice that every now and then, okay? I'll leave that up to you," Kakashi said.

Sasuke nodded and went to sit beside Naruto who gave him a fist bump. Jiraiya turned to Naruto. "Okay, big guy. Your turn."

Naruto jumped up enthusiastically making Sasuke and Sakura laugh.

"I'm ready when you are, Pervy Sage!"


	27. Chapter 27

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 27

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers of Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

 _ **A/N: I'm soo sorry for not updating in a LONG while, everyone! I've been so busy with everything, I don't really have time to update. I also have been focusing on my stories-yes, plural- in Wattpad because if I don't finish those, I wouldn't have anything to update here in . The basis of my stories here are in Wattpad so if you find yourself impatient for the next update, it probably is already in Wattpad, you can check it out. My Wattpad username is Uchiha Midato. Again, I'm really sorry for not updating much. I can't make any promises for more frequent updates since it is the second semester of the year and I really need to get honors to be able to graduate with honors. We'll see about the summer, though.**_

 _ **If the opportunity presents itself, I will post my HarMione story here as well but it should be finished and no more updates if any of you ship HarMione or are just plain interested. I would also like to do one-shots while working on updates for my stories. I've been itching to do my very first smut scene!**_

 _ **Until then... ENJOY!**_

* * *

Naruto was practically jumping up and down with excitement as Jiraiya pulled out a litmus paper from his pouch.

"Now, Naruto, I trust you know how to do this if you were paying rapt attention to Kakashi a while ago," Jiraiya said, almost taunting the bouncy blond.

"Of course, Jiraiya-sama! I'm not going to let Sasuke outdo me, dattebayo!" Naruto said, with fire in his eyes. He stretched out his arm, his hand wide open and the palm facing up.

Jiraiya chuckled and placed the litmus paper on Naruto's palm. Naruto became focused in a nanosecond, surprising Jiraiya a little, and concentrated on gathering chakra on his palm. His eyes trained on the paper with an almost passionate look. Blue flames started to emit from his palm, cutting the paper in half. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, what do we have here? Your chakra property, Naruto, is wind release. A powerful element, I daresay. Personally, I am attuned to multiple elements such as fire, earth, water, and wind, as well as the Yin and Yang release but I usually use fire," Jiraiya said with a bit of pride in his eyes.

Naruto's eyes shone in hero worship to the man in front of him. "Woah! You have multiple elemental affinities? That's so cool, Jiraiya-sama! Dattebayo!"

Jiraiya merely laughed albeit uproariously at the Genin before him and ruffled his blond hair. "Well, what do you expect from a Sannin like me?" Jiraiya boasted, flexing his right arm in a macho pose.

Kakashi and Sasuke both rolled their eyes simultaneously, Sakura giggled, and Naruto grinned at Jiraiya's little show. Jiraiya laughed once again.

"Alright. But first off, I have heard that you have a great supply of chakra. Is that right?"

Naruto nodded and for a while, his face briefly darkened when he thought about the reason why. Surprise and shock overcame him when a voice chuckled darkly inside his head.

 ** _'Yes, and it is all thanks to me. I'm surprised you still remember about me, boy,'_** the Kyuubi inside him sneered. Naruto forced him into the back of his mind and focused on the Sannin in front of him.

Jiraiya noticed his expression change for a brief moment before it disappeared in the blink of an eye. Jiraiya looked at him speculatively. _'I guess the Kyuubi has become active in his mind. For how long, I'm not sure,'_ he thought darkly.

"Yes, well... we will need to work on your chakra control first before we move on to your wind jutsus. Tell me, Naruto, how do you perform justus? Do you have any difficulties?" Jiraiya said aloud.

Naruto thought for a while before nodding. "I always thought it was because I wasn't channeling enough chakra in my jutsus when I tried to perform one."

"On the contrary, my boy, you channel way too much chakra into a jutsu. A jutsu may only need a certain amount of chakra for it to work. Now, you can perform a Shadow Clone Jutsu, right? How much chakra do you channel on that jutsu?"

Naruto shrugged. "A great amount, I guess. It was the only jutsu I can seem to pull off by channeling so much chakra in it."

"Which is why it is a Forbidden Jutsu. Now, how many clones can you summon?"

"Um... I haven't estimated. A hundred, I guess?"

"Why don't you perform it here? Channel as much chakra into it as you can manage," Jiraiya suggested.

Naruto nodded then walked to the center of the clearing. Performing a hand seal, he said, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

At once, at least a thousand clones appeared around the entire clearing, leaving no space untouched. Jiraiya, Kakashi, and his teammates looked at them in awe. Both adults exchanged a knowing look. The clones grinned at them.

Jiraiya nodded in approval. "You did well, Naruto. Now, dispel them."

At once, the clones disappeared to reveal the real Naruto in the middle of the clearing where he didn't move. He jogged towards Jiraiya who clapped him on the back with a huge grin.

"That was great, Naruto! Now, tell me, do you feel any exhaustion or decrease in your chakra reserve?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Oddly, no. I don't usually get tired even after wasting a lot of chakra."

Jiraiya smiled softly. "This means you are very special, Naruto. Now, I believe I have a jutsu that will be perfect for you. It's actually stronger than the Chidori and is called the Rasengan. It was made by... by the Yondaime Hokage which he taught me," Jiraiya's voice softened at the last part. His eyes subtly glanced at Kakashi who merely nodded his head.

Naruto's eyes twinkled at the mention of his hero. "Woah! You mean you can teach me a jutsu the Fourth made himself? Cool! And what more? It's stronger than teme's Chidori! Take that, Sasuke!" Naruto jeered at Sasuke.

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes while Sakura giggled at his antics.

"Now, pay close attention, Naruto. This jutsu is rather difficult to master. Firstly, the Rasengan does not require hand seals to perform. Once it is formed, it also does not require any additional chakra to sustain it, which means that there is no definite limit to how long the Rasengan can be used. Though the Rasengan's shape is consistent from user to user, its size varies from only barely large enough to be noticeable to much larger than the user's hand. With greater experience with the Rasengan comes a larger size. On contact, the Rasengan grinds into its target, propels them along the Rasengan's trajectory- either away from the user or into the ground beneath them- and at some point bursts, causing severe damage at the point of contact.

"The Rasengan requires extremely refined chakra control, something that very few ninja naturally possess. For this reason the Rasengan is difficult to master. In order to help others gain the necessary chakra control, learning to use the Rasengan is broken into three steps.

"One is rotation. It is important for you to know which direction their body naturally spins its chakra for this step. Two, power. You must increase the volume and density of chakra output. Last is containment. You must combine the two steps in a contained sphere. The completion is by far the most difficult step. For this step, we will need to experiment with your shadow clones.

"Now, to properly motivate you, I'll show you what a Rasengan looks like."

He held out his hand with his palm facing up much like Kakashi did then paused for a few seconds. A blue ball of concentrated chakra swirled into his palm not a moment later. Then facing a dummy in the clearing, he charged towards it then hit it with the jutsu. At once, the dummy exploded. When he turned back to his audience, he saw wonder and awe on the Genin's faces and an amused one on Kakashi's. He could've sworn he saw Sasuke look at Naruto with an envious gleam in his eyes before his expression turned back to normal.

Jiraiya pulled out a water balloon from his pouch and approached Naruto once again.

"Now, Naruto, take this."

He handed the water balloon to Naruto who took it gingerly.

"I will need you to practice on this one first. You need to practice on spinning your chakra in multiple directions at once. You'll know when you are successful when the balloon will burst from your chakra," Jiraiya explained with utmost care.

He glanced over to Sakura and Sasuke then addressed Kakashi, "Ne, Kakashi, why don't you take those two to train, especially Sakura here? This may take a while and I'm not so sure we can manage to polish this step today."

Kakashi nodded. "Hai, Jiraiya-sama. Come along, kids," he addressed the Genins beside him.

Both stood up obediently although Sasuke muttered, "Kids? Really?" This resulted into Sakura giggling at him.

Kakashi gestured to both of them to follow him. Sasuke did while Sakura turned to Naruto, "We'll see you later, Naruto." She smiled then followed after the two males.

Naruto gave a small smile at her retreating back. Jiraiya smiled at the boy in front of him with a knowing look. He had seen that look on his father's face when he looked at boy's mother.

"Naruto?" Jiraiya called, fighting a smirk off his face but raising an eyebrow at the boy's direction.

Naruto turned at him sheepishly and nodded.

"Let's do this, dattebayo!"

* * *

Naruto slumped on the ground, groaning, the balloon still in his grasp. He felt exhausted, both mentally and physically, as he had only been using his chakra for the past five hours. He wouldn't think it would be this hard though he had been expecting that training for this jutsu wouldn't be easy. He sighed, holding up the balloon to his face. It wasn't that his chakra was depleting. No, he had huge amounts of those whether he likes it or not. Rather, it was the fact that he'd been using it for a long time and he was not the best at handling and manipulating chakra. He thought about asking Sakura to teach him how to control his chakra since she was the best at chakra control out of all of the Rookie 9.

"What should I do with you? What am I missing?" he said.

He crossed his legs and concentrated on the balloon, his thoughts running wildly. He stared at the balloon.

He sighed. "I am not stopping until I get this done." Looking up at the sky, he saw that it was almost dark. He sighed again. "I'll stop when it's full dark." He stood up again as he was filled with new-found conviction.

Thoughtfully, he said, "Maybe I should look for a new angle." As if a light bulb had appeared over his head, he said, "What about two hands? Yeah, that'll work... I hope."

Bringing his free hand, he placed it over the balloon gently then with both hands, he summoned chakra on both his palms, rotating them to the left then with much thought, changed the rotation to the right.

And as sweat dripped down his cheek, the balloon finally exploded, drenching him but he ignored the wetness on his jumpsuit in favor of the feeling of accomplishment. Despite feeling very exhausted, he jumped up, punched the air, and yelled, "Yeah! Alright! I did it!" He sprinted towards the house.

Unfortunately, though, since he was already very exhausted, sprinting only made matters worse. He managed to barge through the backdoor of the house before he saw darkness cloud over his vision and promptly collapsed.

* * *

Moaning, he finally came back to the world of the living. He slowly opened his eyes to see that he was on a bed. Looking around, he noticed that he was in the room he shared with Sakura and it was already nighttime.

As he thought of Sakura, said girl walked in the room, carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming soup on it. When she saw that Naruto was awake, she smiled at him.

"Good, you're awake. I was worried about you," she said, approaching his bed and setting the tray on the bedside table. "You fainted when you entered the house. Sasuke screamed bloody murder when you landed on him. He was about to go get you but then you barged in and just... collapsed. You almost gave him a heart attack. He thought a missing-nin decided to raid the house. You know he's going to kill you, right?"

Naruto was already laughing halfway through her explanation. "Oh, I wish I could've seen that. It would have been so funny. Anyways, where are the others?"

"Well... you've been out for a while and it's almost midnight. They're probably already asleep now."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What? But why are you still awake? Don't tell me you've been up to look after me?"

Sakura's cheeks tinged with pink. "Well, sort of. Anyways, Tsunami-san heated some ramen for you," she said, gesturing to the bowl on the bedside table.

Instantly, Naruto's eyes lit up. "Ramen?!"

Laughing, she helped Naruto sit up as he took the bowl and gobbled down the ramen. "Oh... I didn't noticed I'm so famished. Arigato gozaimasu, Sakura-chan."

Smiling, she said, "Sore wa daijobudesu."

When he was done, she took the tray and empty bowl and excused herself. As soon as she exited the room, Naruto leaned back on the pillow and sighed.

 _'Why is she so good to me? I don't deserve her,'_ he thought.

 ** _'You're right. You don't deserve her,'_ ** a low, menacing voice inside his head said.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and his expression darkened. _'Oh, so good of you to make your presence known, Kyuubi. Though I would have preferred if you didn't. I was having the time of my life,' he sneered in his mind._

 ** _'Oh, don't be so shocked, boy. Even if I don't make my presence known, I am still inside you and will be here until I find out a way out of this hellhole,'_ ** The Kyuubi growled.

 _'Try me, then. One day, I will either get rid of you or tame you, mark my words.'_

A booming but intimidating laugh was heard inside his head. ** _'I'd like to see you try, boy. How could you, a puny human- a mortal- overpower someone like me, the Kyuubi no Yoko, the strongest of all the Bijuu?! You humor me.'_**

 _'Don't underestimate me, demon, I can and will do something about you, dattebayo!'_ And with that, he closed off their connection-just in time for Sakura to enter the room once again, smiling.

"Tired?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm fine, I guess. What about you?"

Sakura shrugged back. "I've been better. I'm not that tired yet."

"Yeah, well... what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. Just... talk, I guess." Sakura moved to lay on the bed beside him as he scooted aside to make room for her.

"What do you want to talk about?" Naruto asked, placing one hand behind his head and looking at her.

"Well... how are you feeling? I've never seen you collapse during training even if you've been training for most of the day and you've only been sitting and trying to pop that balloon on your hand."

"I'm fine. I just never thought the training would be so difficult. I mean... I expected that it wouldn't be easy but it actually was so difficult to manage. How did Sasuke manage to learn his jutsu in just a few minutes? Who knows how long mine will take?"

"I don't know. But if anything, I knew you'd master it soon. I believe you will. So... did you pop it?"

Naruto smiled. "Yup! But... it wasn't how I expected it to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I thought you would have to pop that balloon with a single hand and I did it with both hands."

"Really? Well... I guess you still have difficulty controlling your chakra. If anything, what you did was amazing. You finished the task by doing it your own way. You knew popping that balloon with a single hand wouldn't suit your style so you modified the technique and made it your own."

"Huh... I never thought about it that way. Arigato, Sakura-chan. By the way, how is your training?"

Sakura shrugged. "It's nothing new, actually. I already knew the basics. Kakashi-sensei only made me apply it. He cut his hand and had me heal it. I did it in less than a minute. It wasn't that hard. But I know that's not all he's going to teach me tomorrow."

"Good for you, Sakura-chan! I'm glad they're training us though I wished the circumstances were different. I tell you, by the time we return to Konoha, we're going to be stronger."

"Yeah... I hope so."

* * *

Naruto woke up on his side early despite sleeping very late. He and Sakura had been talking about anything and everything last night- or was it early morning? He smiled without opening his eyes. It felt so good just talking to her- getting to know her better.

He planned to stretch but then he felt something warm behind him- not to mention two mounds on his upper back. He blushed beet red. Looking down his body, he found two arms wrapped around his waist, hugging him. He felt warm breath on his neck, making his face heat up more. 'S-Sakura-chan is... hugging me again!' he thought, flustered.

Turning his head slowly, he confirmed his assumptions. Said girl was sleeping and hugging him like a pillow. Just then, the thought of the two mounds on his upper back came again to the forefront of his mind. A part of his anatomy decided to wake up as he felt like the room's temperature rose to a few more degrees.

Wanting to take care of his growing problem, he shifted on the bed. Doing so only made Sakura hug him harder and moan. "No..." she moaned lightly.

Naruto's breathing became labored. _'Oh, Kami, help me,'_ he thought helplessly. Just then, Sakura's hand dropped lower until it touched his crotch. Naruto barely managed to restrain a strangled yelp. _'Oh, no. Please. Kami-sama... someone, anyone! Help me!'_ he thought desperately.

Grabbing her wrist gently, he removed her hand from his crotch and took advantage of the situation to stand from the bed quickly but gently, careful not to wake her. He placed the pillow he was using in her arms as she accepted it in a hug. She breathed in deeply and smiled. "Naruto..." she moaned.

Naruto froze then smiled. Out of all the things she could have said, she said his name- in a moan, no less. His problem had now become a raging hard-on and made a tent in his trousers. But he paid it no mind as he stared at the sleeping girl in front of him. _'Does... does this mean that... there's a chance she might like me, too?'_ he thought, feeling giddy.

 ** _'Don't get your hopes worked up or you'll only disappoint yourself, mortal. You never know, she might like someone else. Your name just came out of her mouth randomly. How could she like someone like you? You are a demon, boy,'_ ** the Kyuubi inside his head taunted.

Despite himself, Naruto felt rage and possessiveness bubble inside him. He growled in his mind, _'No! She's mine! She said my name- mine! No one else's. She said my name! Not Sasuke's, not Lee's, not anyone else's! Mine! Sakura-chan is mine! Do you hear me, Kyuubi?! MINE!'_

Then blinking, Naruto calmed immediately and felt ashamed. _'No... I didn't mean that. They're my friends... they're... I shouldn't have acted so jealous... I' m not jealous...'_ Naruto's eyes widened. He jumped out of the window and sprinted into the forest from the backyard. _'What have you done to me, you demon?!'_

The Kyuubi laughed humorlessly. **_'It's not what I did. Don't blame me. You are not unlike me after all, boy. You have darkness inside you heart. I see it. I feel it.'_**

Naruto continued to run aimlessly and shouted aloud, "No! You don't know anything! I am not like you! I'm not a demon!" He jumped over tree roots, ducked from branches, and raced through the forest floor, intent on distancing himself from the house before he breaks down. He didn't know how he knew that but he was sure he was going to lose control of himself.

 ** _'Yes, you are, Uzumaki Naruto. You are a demon yourself- just like me. You can only bring harm to those you love. You will always be shunned by the villagers you live with. Your loved ones will finally see who you really are and will hate you for your lies. You will never be a Hokage. You will never be someone worth praising. The girl you love will want you dead. Soon, you will have nothing, you will_ die _with nothing,'_** The Kyuubi continued to taunt.

The words from the Kyuubi created images inside his head, unbidden.

* * *

He stands over the cliff to see a burning Konoha with a rampaging beast wreaking havoc. Villagers run around in fear, screaming for their lives. Children huddle in dark alleys as they cry for anyone to help them. Shinobi die from battling the beast- trying to protect and save the village they love. His knee was raised as he stands over something.

Looking down, the Hokage's headless corpse lay under his foot. Screams emanated from behind him. He turns around to find a pile of corpses that look like all his friends. Three people kneel before him, wounded and bloody. They raise their heads and he recognizes them as Kakashi, Sasuke, and...

 _'Sakura-chan,'_ he thought.

Tears were streaming down her face and she shivers in fear. "N-Naruto... how could you?"

Just then, Kakashi and Sasuke collapse, their heads fall off their shoulders.

Sakura screams at the sight. She turned back to look at Naruto, rage burning in her eyes. "How could you?! You murdered them all! You destroyed my home! I could never love someone like you!"

Naruto steps back but found it was a bad idea. His foot slips and he looks back at the burning village.

Just before he falls to his death, he hears Sakura scream, "I hate you, Naruto! You are a demon! I HATE YOU!"

 _"NO!"_


	28. Chapter 28

Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 27

By: MidatoUchiha

Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers of Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.

* * *

Naruto screamed into the forest, "NO!" He ran deeper and deeper into the woods. He didn't know where he was nor where he was going, he just knew that he had to get away from the house as far as he can. He had been running at full speed for quite a while now and he was starting to become fatigued. Even Kakashi's rigorous training was nothing compared to what he was doing.

But he kept running because the visions haunted him. What did it mean? Was that going to be his future? Was he going to be a monster eventually? He never wanted those to happen, he swears. He was going to die before that happened.

Unfortunately, the Kyuubi wasn't helping matters. **_'Yes, you will become a monster. You already are one, remember? I'm inside you, after all, and I can possess you anytime.'  
_**

Naruto shook his head furiously and ran straight towards a tree, hitting the bark with his fist which was glowing with his chakra. The tree gave a sickening crunch, Naruto's arm embedded deeply into the trunk. He removed his arm and found a gaping hole on the trunk where his fist delved into. He was panting with anger- anger at himself and the Kyuubi. "I will never let you possess me, you demon, even if it's the last thing I do!" he screamed himself hoarse.

Suddenly feeling drained- which he probably was with all the sprinting- he collapsed to his knees and hunched over, his hands clutching the grass on the ground. His right hand, he noticed, which punched the tree was bleeding. The skin was torn and raw, his blood gushing freely from it. He didn't worry, though. It was going to heal anyway. It was one thing the Kyuubi was useful for.

 _ **'How dare you think I am a slave of yours? I am more powerful than you, boy! Mark my words, I will make you beg for mercy one day!'**_ Kyuubi snarled inside him.

Naruto chuckled humorlessly. "Whatever you say. However, I promise that I will tame you. I promise on my own life that, one day, you will learn to heed my every command and become nothing more than a pet to me," he retaliated maliciously.

The Kyuubi inside him roared him anger as he closed off their connection. Sighing, he collapsed on his back and closed his eyes. He tried to regain his breathing. As he was beginning to settle down, he heard a crunch beside him. His head turned towards the noise and found Jiraiya standing beside him, his arms crossed. He had an indiscernible look on his face as he regarded Naruto. His eyes shifted to the boy's right hand which was bleeding, his blood creating a small pool around it. The grass had turned red with his blood.

Jiraiya sighed. "I need to talk to you."

Sighing as well, Naruto sat up. "You don't need to say anything. I know I'm a demon, okay?"

Jiraiya bent down and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "No, that wasn't what I was going to say."

Naruto regarded him with a confused expression. "What is it, then? Why are you here anyway? How did you find me?"

Jiraiya ignored his questions and sat beside him. He entwined his fingers together and took a deep breath. "Naruto, do you know why the Kyuubi is inside you? Have you ever wondered how he was sealed in your body?"

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. Out of all the things Jiraiya could talk about, he chose this. But Naruto thought about his question and he knew he hadn't wondered about it- which was surprising in the least. He was a curious boy. He shrugged. "No, I guess. Besides, I just found out. I never really stopped to think about him."

Jiraiya nodded, accepting his answer. "I know it's a lot to take it... and I'm afraid what I am going to reveal to you will only add to your worries.

"What I'm about to tell you is about the secret that the Sandaime intends to hide. Now, I know the old man only wants your best interests at heart, but he hasn't been completely honest to you. Granted, he would have told you had you asked but it was his responsibility to let you know.

"Now, you will understand why the Sandaime passed on the law to never talk about what happened fourteen years ago. You do know what happened during that time, right?"

Naruto nodded. "It was the day the Kyuubi attacked the village."

Jiraiya smiled sadly at that. "A lot of people died that day- including the Yondaime and his wife.

"You are probably wondering, why did the Kyuubi attack Konoha- out of all the villages out there? Why Konoha? Well, it was because of the Yondaime's wife- Uzumaki Kushina.

"Born into the famed Uzumaki clan of Uzushiogakure, Kushina lived most of her youth being caught up in war, making her seek for a daily peace. At a young age she was sent to Konoha and enrolled in the Academy. Wanting to make a strong first impression, she proclaimed to her class that she would be the first female Hokage. The other kids laughed at her statement, and began calling her _Tomato_ because of her then-round face and fiery red hair. This prompted her to lash out and pummel the kids who teased her. This, in addition to her red hair flying wildly around her as she did so, earned her the nickname of _Red Hot-Blooded Habanero_.

"Kushina was eventually told why she had to leave her home of Uzushio and go to Konoha; because of her special chakra, she was to be the next Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon was terrified by the idea, but she was comforted by the Nine-Tails' then-current jinchūriki, Uzumaki Mito. Before the transfer was performed, Mito advised Kushina that love was the only way to tame the Kyuubi and overcome its hate.

"When she was around twelve years old, Kushina — now a Genin— was kidnapped by Kumogakure who wanted to make use of her special chakra in order to gain control of the they escorted her to Kumo, she secretly plucked and left behind strands of her red hair to mark her trail in the hopes that someone would find her. Namikaze Minato, one of her former classmates that Kushina believed to be a wimp, was the only one to pick up on this. After rescuing her, he informed her that he had always admired her red hair. Since Minato proved himself to be anything but, accepted her, and liked the one thing she hated about herself, Kushina fell in love with him, now considering her red hair as the _red thread of fate_ that had brought them together. Ultimately, Minato's reciprocated feelings helped her with overcoming the Kyuubi.

Jiraiya paused and smiled at Naruto. "At some point, Kushina married Minato. She was later present to witness her husband's reign as Fourth Hokage, being very excited for him when first learning of it. During her ten-month Jinchuriki-influenced pregnancy, she was secretly kept guarded by Minato's top student, Kakashi, under Minato's through the pregnancy, the expecting parents decided to name their unborn child..." Jiraiya trailed off, his eyes glistening with tears. "N... _Naruto_ after the main character of my first book."

Naruto gasped, his eyes welling up in tears as well. "M-My..."

Jiraiya sighed shakily. "Yes. You are the Yondaime's son... and my godson." Naruto sobbed and threw himself on Jiraiya, his arms wrapping around the man's neck and wept. Jiraiya sobbed as well as he engulfed the boy in a big hug. They stayed that way for a while, no words were needed.

Finally, Naruto pulled away and wiped the tears from his eyes. He grinned cheekily. "No wonder I admired him so much. He was my _father_."

Jiraiya laughed through his tears. "Yeah. Your father _was_ amazing."

Naruto frowned then. "But... there's more to that story, right?"

Jiraiya sobered up and sighed. "Yes."

* * *

As they walked towards Tazuna's home, Naruto learned a lot about himself that he never knew before- like how he came from two powerful clans: Uzumaki and Namikaze. His heart was filled with warmth as he thought about his parents. He smiled. _'I'm a Namikaze... I'm the Yondaime's son,'_ he thought.

Jiraiya noticed his smile and smiled in return. "What's got you in such a good mood?" he asked.

Naruto laughed. "Why wouldn't I be in a good mood when I'm the Yondaime's son? I'm the son of someone I admire."

Jiraiya laughed in return. "I hope your head doesn't inflate. But, yes... you are Minato's son."

Naruto then frowned in thought. Jiraiya saw this. "What is it?"

"But... why me?" Naruto asked, looking into Jiraiya's eyes with a pained expression.

"Why what?"

"Why did he put the Kyuubi in me? His own son? Do you know how much pain I went through because of it? How I was treated as an outcast growing up? And what's worse, the demon sealed inside me is the reason why I don't have a family!" Naruto cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Jiraiya bent down and grabbed both his shoulders to look at him straight in the eyes. "Naruto... listen to me. Your father loved you, okay? It pained him to seal the demon inside his own son. He knew the consequences of his actions. He had no choice. He couldn't just find a random baby to seal the demon in because no one can handle the Kyuubi. Only Uzumaki's can do it. And besides, you're his son- you're the son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. If you're anything like your parents, you can handle the burden. But that doesn't make it any easier for him to put a big burden on his son who was still a baby. You have to understand that, Naruto."

Naruto nodded, wiping away his tears. "Arigato."

Jiraiya smiled at him. "And besides... I'm here now. I'll stand as a surrogate father for you. Granted, I can't replace your parents but I will be here to support you always."

Naruto laughed. "You sure you're up for the job?"

Jiraiya mock glared at him and slapped the back of his head. "Hey, I'm not that old yet, okay?!"

They both laughed.

* * *

Sakura was pacing a hole on the floor as they lay await for Naruto's return.

"Where could he be? Why did he just take off like that without even saying something to us? Oh... that baka. If I see him, I'm going to rip his head off!" Sakura raved at Sasuke who was sitting on the couch in front of her.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "He'll be fine. I'm sure he's just out exercising or training with Jiraiya-sama."

Sakura glared at him, infuriated at his indifference. "Where's Kakashi-sensei, anyway?"

Sasuke merely shrugged. Sakura sighed in exasperation and continued to pace.

"Will you stop doing that? It gets on my nerves. I'm telling you, he's fine!" Sasuke groaned.

Sakura rounded on him again. "Well, I'm sorry for trying to look out for Naruto! If anything, you're his best friend and you don't even look like you care about him!"

Sasuke glared at her. "Right. I'm his best friend. So don't tell me that I don't care... I do! And I'm telling you, he's fine. As his best friend, I should know that!"

Sakura huffed in annoyance and turned away from him. Fortunately, they were saved from the growing tension by Kakashi who entered the room. Sakura rounded on him.

"Did you find him, sensei?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi shook his head and held up a small piece of paper. "No, but Jiraiya-sama did. They're on their way here now."

Sakura sighed in acceptance and managed to calm down. Sasuke rolled his eyes at her and stood up. "I'm getting restless. I'll just be outside."

Sakura blocked his path. "You're not even going to wait for your best friend?" she asked in surprise.

Sasuke scoffed. "I told you, he's fine. So stop nagging. You're not his mother."

Sakura gaped indignantly at him as he brushed past her. Just as she was about turn around and hit him, Naruto and Jiraiya walked in from the backdoor. They all stood in silence for a while... until Sakura looked down at Naruto's right hand and gasped. Naruto looked down on his hand and tried to hide it behind him while grinning sheepishly at her. "I'm fine, Sakura-chan. Really!" he tried assured to her.

Sakura shook her head and gestured to him to come closer to her. When he did, she sat them both on the couch. She merely held out her hand while she gave him a look that brooked no arguments. He sighed in defeat and gingerly brought out his hand to rest on her outstretched one. She examined the hand carefully. It was caked with blood flowing from his knuckles to the floor. His skin was thinned out and bruised on the surrounding area, his bones protruding from it. His fingers were also swelling. Sakura winced at the depth of his wound. She shook his head disapprovingly at him and brought her other hand to hover above his by a few inches. Her hand glowed green with her healing technique.

All this happened in silence as the other occupants in the room experienced the exchange. Jiraiya and Kakashi smiled at the scene, reminding them both of Minato and Kushina, Naruto's parents. Sasuke, on the other hand, merely raised his eyebrow.

Without looking up from her task, she asked, "Can anyone of you get me some bandages, please?"

Noticing the underlying message in her tone, the men glanced towards each other and nodded. Sasuke said, "I'm on it." And with that, he was the first to exit the room, followed by Kakashi then Jiraiya.

Silence ensued for a few moments until Sakura, still without looking up from his hand, said, "What happened?"

Naruto sighed and ran his other hand through his hair, saying, "It's... complicated. I don't know how to explain it to you."

"You don't know how or you won't?"

"Sakura-chan..."

She looked up at him with teary eyes though she glared at him. "I think I deserve an explanation, Naruto."

Naruto sighed. "I... I can't..."

Sakura turned her attention to his hand again. Naruto glanced at her uneasily, her silence unnerving him. He hated it when she's like this- she's barely holding her temper in. He especially hated it when he was the reason she was like this. He desperately wanted to tell her about his predicament but he couldn't have her carry the burden of knowing that she was the friend of a demon. He was afraid...

"Do you think I'm stupid?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Her question caught him off guard. "What?! Of course not, Sakura-chan! You're the smartest girl I know!"

"Then tell me what's wrong because I _know_ something's wrong!" she asked, looking up to glare at him again, though this time, her tears had fallen. She hated crying... but he was being so stubborn she can't stand it!

Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. Her angry tears streamed freely down her flushed cheeks. She was panting heavily as well. Well, he's in for it now.

"Do you have any idea how I felt when I woke up and couldn't find you anywhere? Do you have any idea how afraid I was when I found out none of the people here knew where you were, where you've gone, or what might've happened to you?!" Sakura started to rant.

"I wait here, sick with worry while I pace a hole on the floor and almost kill Sasuke because he seems so sure you're fine and I shouldn't have to worry so much... but how could I not?! You left without a trace! Then you come back here, acting as if you've only had a walk in the woods and nothing is wrong! I always worry about you and with you acting like that makes me feel like you don't care that I care-"

She was cut off by a pair of lips on hers and hands cupping her both her cheeks. It took her a second to register that Naruto had kissed her. She closed her eyes and gripped the front of his black shirt to pull him closer and keep him their whilst she deepens the kiss. She kisses him deeply though with anger as if to remind him that she was still furious with him. He doesn't mind, though. All he thought was, _'Wow, I'm finally kissing Sakura-chan!'_

He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him and Sakura let herself be pulled, straddling him on the couch. She gripped his shirt tighter, almost ripping it off. Their kiss deepened still, if it was even possible. They kissed each other longingly and desperately, as if trying to convey all their feelings in one kiss. Understandable, when they'd experienced a few years of repressed feelings. Their bodies were pressed up against one another, creating a delicious friction.

They kissed like that for a while until a cough broke them apart. When they looked at the intruder, they saw Sasuke standing on the doorway with crossed arms and a smirk on his face. On his right hand was a white bundle of bandages.

Sakura glared at him for a moment before slowly and hesitantly extricating herself from Naruto's embrace. Sasuke looked over them. Their lips were swollen and a bit bruised, their clothes were dishevelled, and Naruto's hair was sticking up more than usual.

He tossed the bandages to Naruto who deftly caught them mid-air with his left hand.

"You might want to clean up a bit. We'll be waiting for you two outside so we can start training. And no more funny business!" he said as he walked out.

Fortunately for him, he had already walked out the backdoor when Sakura's sandal hit it instead of his head.

* * *

When both had went out to meet their waiting team, they were holding hands, clearly signifying a change in their relationship.

Jiraiya and Kakashi had knowing smiles on their faces, both thinking the same thing, _'It's like Minato and Kushina again.'_

Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow at them. But when they approached the trio, Sasuke rolled his eyes, saying, "It's about time, you two."

Sakura had a smug smile on her face while Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He was pretty much new to this kind of thing, growing up the way he did. He was going to have to talk with Jiraiya about this.

Jiraiya clapped his hands jovially. "Well, then... if you mind letting go of each other's hands, we need to get on with the training."

This time, Sakura blushed along with Naruto then both reluctantly stepped away from each other, letting go of their hands. Naruto walked over to Jiraiya.

"Now, are their any questions before we begin?" Kakashi asked.

"Ano... sensei?" Sasuke spoke up.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

"Is it necessary for Naruto to train apart from us?"

Jiraiya and Kakashi tensed. _'Damn, that kid's good,'_ Jiraiya thought.

Sighing, Jiraiya spoke up. "Okay... you know I'm here to aid Kakashi in training you, but... the that's only half of the truth. The Sandaime sent me here for another task."

Naruto's curiosity was peaked. "What? There's more you're not telling me?"

Sasuke and Sakura turned to him, puzzled expressions on their faces. "When did you get the time to talk?" Sakura asked, her words laced with blatant curiosity and accusation.

"Uh... early this morning."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she looked at the people around her before her eyes rested on Jiraiya's tense form. "What's going on? What aren't you telling us? You know, I haven't voiced it out loud but I knew something was off about you. You came out of nowhere, traipsing into our lives and claim you want to train us but I can see you're more interested in Naruto. Not that I'm jealous of the attention he receives or anything but I can't help but become suspicious of your intentions and your apparent interest in my boyfriend,"- at this, Naruto blushed- "So forgive me for being too overprotective or overbearing of Naruto because I want answers. Right here, right now."

At this, Sasuke nodded in agreement, his arms crossed.

Jiraya replied, trying to placate the irate kunoichi, "It wasn't my right to tell you... not until I told Naruto first. And you're right. He's the reason I'm here but I bear no ill will, you have to understand that. Now, unless Naruto gives me permission to divulge everything I know about his past, I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep my lips sealed."

Sakura turned to give Naruto a piercing look. The blond sighed in defeat. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"How about everything?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms.

Naruto turned to Jiraiya and nodded. Jiraiya sighed in defeat. "Alright. First, do you both know why Naruto is considered an outcast to the village?"

"It was because the Kyuubi is sealed inside him," Sasuke replied.

Sakura's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"He told me before we entered the Academy. How about you? You look like you know as well. How did you find out?"

Sakura blushed. "Well... I followed him after training on our first day with Kakashi-sensei and found two villagers beating him up, saying he was the Kyuubi and all that. I took him to my mother where he spent the night at my house."

Sasuke smirked as he looked at Naruto and Sakura blushing.

"Right... but you didn't know straight away about him, didn't you?" Jiraiya asked.

Both Genins shook their heads.

Kakashi joined in the conversation. "The Sandaime passed down a law not to discuss the Kyuubi no Yoko but that didn't change the fact that they know he is sealed inside Naruto which caused the villagers to despise him."

Sakura huffed, annoyed. "That might be so but why hate Naruto himself? It wasn't his fault the Kyuubi is sealed inside him. He's as much a victim as any of us."

Sasuke shook his head. "Their beloved Yondaime died to seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto so they chose to blame him when he hasn't done anything wrong and was still a baby when that happened. They _needed_ someone to blame. Hypocrites. He should've been treated as a hero for containing a demon capable of destroying the whole world, protecting all of us."

"Yes, but... I don't understand. Why Naruto? Why would the Yondaime seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto and not in another baby or even a shinobi? What made the Yondaime choose Naruto out of all people?"

"Because who better to entrust the Kyuubi to than his own son?" Naruto said, avoiding eye contact with them.

Sasuke and Sakura gaped at him. Naruto merely nodded. "Yes, I'm the Yondaime's son."

"B-But... why his own son? That doesn't make any sense!" Sakura stammered, confused.

"Just like Naruto said, it was better to seal it in his own son because it was a hard but easy decision. Put yourself in his shoes. If you were the leader of a village and you had to make that kind of decision, would you choose to seal it in another kid? Your job is to protect your village. No matter how much it hurts you to know that you seal a demon in your own child and deprive him of a normal life, he couldn't do that to another kid. But what makes it better is the knowledge that you wouldn't trust this burden to anyone else than your own offspring, one you could trust just by being his parents' son," Kakashi explained.

Jiraiya went on to repeat what he said to Naruto in the woods earlier. "... and that's why the Sandaime sent me here to help Naruto control the Kyuubi."

Said demon scoffed in Naruto's head. **_"I'd like to see you try."_**

Naruto rebutted smugly, _"Big talk coming from someone who was passed down from vessel after vessel in a clan. If my mother's clan can do it, I can as well. After all, I have the genes to do it."_

The Kyuubi growled profanities at him causing Naruto to smirk.

"What are you smiling, Naruto?" Sakura asked him, puzzled.

Jiraiya gave him a knowing look and he merely shrugged. "Kyuubi's not happy with what's about to happen."

 ** _"That's the understatement of the century... I'm_** **pissed** ** _."_**

Sakura and Sasuke gaped openly at him. "You can communicate with the Kyuubi?!" Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded. "I accidentally accessed him in my mind when I got injured days ago. Now, we can communicate in my mind."

"What is he like?" Sakura asked, genuinely curious.

Naruto laughed. "He's a real pan in the ass. He makes threats a lot but unless he manages to find a way to escape from his cage, he's all bark, no bite."

The Kyuubi snarled at him. **_"Someday, boy..."_**

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Cage?"

"The seal resembles a huge cage in a sewer. Why it looks like that, I have no idea."

Jiraiya nodded. "Now, let's get on with training, shall we?"

Sasuke cut him off. "Ano... Jiraiya-sama? How do you hope to help Naruto train the Kyuubi?"

"Why so curious, Sasuke?"

"Because I want to help him."

Sakura nodded. "I want to as well... after all, he's my boyfriend now."

Jiraiya smiled at them. "Naruto is so lucky to have you as his friends. As expected from the fathers' children, though."

Naruto turned his head in confusion. "What?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Fun fact... your fathers also were best of friends."

"What?!" the three exclaimed.

Jiraiya nodded. "Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Fugaku, and Haruno Kizashi. They were so close, they were practically attached to the hip since they were still in the academy. But Kizashi, Sakura's father, wasn't able to pass the Chuunin exams so he became a merchant instead and met Mebuki, Sakura's mother. When they got married, your mothers became close friends as well. In fact, Mebuki and Kushina, Naruto's mother, wanted Sakura and Naruto together when they found out they were pregnant with you. Misato, Sasuke's mother, just wanted Sasuke and Naruto as best friends."

Kakashi nodded solemnly. "Sasuke's and Sakura's parents were devastated when Minato and Kushina died. The Uchiha's were supposed to take you in, Naruto, but they had problems of their own within the clan. The Haruno's would also have gladly taken you in but the Hokage advised them not to so that the villagers won't turn on them for taking you in. The Sandaime wanted you under his wing as well but he feared that it would start a civil war."

Jiraiya looked at Naruto with an apologetic expression. "I wanted to take you but I was outside of Konoha most of the time. I've been doing important stuff. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Naruto."

"It's alright. You're here now. That's what matters."

"Arigato, Naruto. You really are your mother's son."

"Minato-sensei will be proud," Kakashi cut in.

Sakura rounded on him. "You were the student of the Yondaime?!"

"Yes, along with a girl named Rin and Uchiha Obito. He was the one who gave me my Sharingan."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Why would he do that?"

Kakashi sighed. "When we were on a dangerous mission... my first as a Jounin but I got hurt and my left eye was slashed, hence my scar. Because of that, Obito managed to activate his Sharingan, already with two tomoes. He died but before that, he gave me the Sharingan from his left eye."

"What about your other teammate?" Sakura asked.

"She died as well," Kakashi said quietly, clearly not wanting to talk more about the subject.

Jiraiya clapped his hands a little to enthusiastically, much to Kakashi's relief. "Alright! I think that's enough talk for now. Let's go train, shall we?"


End file.
